Dawnbringer
by Ikara-o-Kage
Summary: A thin, burgundy brow raised a shade over a blue eye. An angel's eye. "And what did he offer him?" It was the crimson one that he focused on, however. A devil's eye. "A body for his stolen chaser, and a sacrifice to anchor her to it. What better than a hell-touched woman- first born of her family?" ... "I swear, by the Heavens and the Hells both, I will end you."
1. Sunsets and Sticky-notes

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 1: Sunsets and Sticky-notes**

* * *

" _Meet me at the office after work – Lash_ "

Sharp, liquid script slashed across the paper, all spike and old world charm. The neon pink paper, however, was anything but as it trembled on her finger. The snort of breath that left the small woman as she read it over again made the paper tremble all the more, before she reached back and tucked it into her pocket- a deft slide of her fingers over the fabric pressing the sticky to it in order to keep it there. She rolled a full cover helmet from under her other arm, then settled it over her head as she flicked the buckles into place. The red insignia on the side of it matched the black sticker on the side of a crimson sport bike- or her 'glorified crotch rocket' as certain legal guardian's would call it. It was hers, however, and it served just fine to get her to and from work. Or, in this case, to get her across town before sun down. She glanced over the parking lot, taking a small moment to flash a smile at the man in an old black truck across the way. He was young, and he returned the smile quickly enough with a head tilt and a wave. Ryan, his name was, and he'd always see her off in the evening. The bouncer, who'd been asked personally more times than once to 'keep her out of trouble'. She grinned at him, throwing a leg over the bike before she settled the small bag she carried over her shoulder, then pulled the tail of her button down shirt out of her jeans. She kicked up the stand, revving the engine once before she tore out of the parking lot and across the street- earning her a horn for her troubles. She grinned, bolting down the alley way that she found herself in before she turned sharply onto the main road- earning another. The chuckle that left her faded quickly enough as she spaced out on the drive, watching the pastels that painted the sky on her way to 'the office'. There was something peaceful about the dusk and dawn of the day, something that brought a serenity to her soul in a way nothing else could. A sorely needed calm, at that- working the bar across town tended to wind her up in a number of ways that very few things could bring her down from.

Mischief, however, _was_ one of those things.

A feral, nearly violent grin parted painted lips as she laid eyes on a lithe, towering figure. The setting sun gave an unearthly glow to the man's perfect blonde hair, even as it dyed the powder blue of his scrubs a faintly violet shade. She snuggled down onto the bike, coaxing the engine to a fury as she leaned and ripped the bike off the main road. Supposedly, the grates and barrels that blocked the sidewalk for the last three months were going to be used to patch the hole in the said sidewalk. Someone had blown up a car engine with well placed accident, according to the workers she'd seen there... a grand total of twice. They'd left the pieces to rot for almost two months- and that had been plenty of time for her to do this, over and over again.

The cry of the engine actually made the man's step falter, as she hit the grates and jumped- sending the bike airborne with a riotous grin and a matching laugh. Her grin lost it's edge when he actually looked back at her, the expression on his face far, far from what she had hoped. A pair of lapis blue eyes glaring over his shoulder at her as she crested- tires just passing his face untouched. The man had simply leaned his head and shoulders to the side a few inches, rendering him completely safe.

"Kira. What are you doing?" The near-baritone voice that carried over the sound of the engine cut through any joy the jump had brought to her, even as the tires barked from the reunited contact with the pavement. She dropped a boot to the sidewalk, bringing the bike sideways as she slid to a stop. The machine idled there, with her atop it, and the most incredulous look in existence on her face.

" _How?_ " She gave a quick huff, then reached up to flick the visor of her helm away from her eyes, the faintly painted visage gazing out at him as though he'd just told her the sky was green. "Seriously, no only do you defy the logical laws of nature- you know, the one that says you get the hell out of the way when something loud and heavy comes flying at your head- you give me that tone!"

"You have the control of a child when it comes to such games- I do believe I have every right to give you 'that tone'." The man had pinned her with a look that would send children like he believed her to be running, despite the relaxed posture. She knew better- just because he looked chill as could be, with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slacked, did not mean he was happy.

"That 'child' has been waiting for weeks for you to be in the right spot for that. And you shot her happy mood right out of the sky, Mr. Gloom." She reached a deft hand under her chin, unsnapping the full helmet and tugging it off. "What's this about, anyway?" The helm came to rest on the tank of the bike, before she rested her off colored eyes on his. Something she could do that not many could- make eye contact with the man known as Lash.

"I assume you received the note, if you are here with a purpose." Kira stilled slightly, resting her wrists on the top of her helmet. Her own eyes narrowed slightly, before she breathed out once through her nose and answered.

"You used my sticky notes." Something in the set of the man's shoulders, despite his seemingly relaxed posture, told her the clipped tone of his voice had a good reason... Whether it was a positive reason was yet to be revealed. "You asked me to come, I came. Now what's up- you're not normally this... testy."

"You're right. I'm not. Come inside, we'll discuss it there." She let the heat in her gaze show freely as she glared at the taller man- he towered over her, even on the mechanical beast she still sat on top of.

"Lash." The man actually paused in his step, her eyes having followed him to the steps leading up to the door of a stone forefront.

"Yes, Kira?" His hand remained on the handle to the door, but he did turn his head to look at her... Standing there in the dying rays of the sun, perched atop her bike with her shoulders back and her head high, she reminded him vaguely of an old world general- ready to ride into battle at a moments notice. The thought brought a slight edge to his eyes- an edge she noticed.

"What's wrong?" He actually seemed to hesitate, at that moment. She'd done nothing to hide her tone, the hint of worry that leaked into her words. Lash actually dropped his gaze from her own, then squeezed the latch on the handle.

"Come inside, and we'll discuss it." He pushed into the doorway and vanished before she got the chance to ask again, and she actually pouted for a moment.

" _You use my sticky notes, demand my presence, then give me attitude, and refuse to tell me why. God damn it, Lash, you're a confusing son of a bitch._ " She sighed softly, moving her hands back to the handles of the bike before she backed up a bit and brought the machine to a stop and a rest by the building. When she kicked down the stand, she took a moment to lean against her helmet, looking out over her shoulder to the setting sun. There was something almost eerie, in that moment, about the finality of the vanishing sliver of light over the horizon. Something that set her on edge, further than she already was. She stayed there, watching the sun vanish beyond the city's edge, and let that slowly fading light bring a small measure of peace to her soul...

* * *

 _Authoress' Notes:_

 _So. After... how many months? My writing itch finally received the kick in the ass it needed. If you're reading this note, you're reading the third complete rewrite of "Angels", chapter one._

 _Regarding "Angels", in it's original form: It will remain, primarily to remind me how far I've come._

 _Regarding the similarities between "Dawnbringer" and "Angels": There's a few, namely the presence of certain characters that I can't bring myself to remove. Certain plot points will remain, though the bridges between them are much longer and contain far more depth. Those points will be loosely reworked, meaning they may be completely unrecognizable from the original points. Some will be obvious. Aspects from the original that will remain are the two original characters, plus supporting figures for those two, and a few of the armaments they carry. Many others will be removed, and some will be reborn in a new form. After going back, and (attempting) to reread "Angels"... I realized the two are completely unrecognizable as related. They are two different beasts at this point- the only real connection between them that remains is Ikira, Rykira, and Luke. Iki and Ry are renamed, reworked, and now actually make some damn sense. Luke remains, in plot-relevant form this time. Ikira, now known simply as "Kira", has been introduced. Luke, now "Lash", has been seen. Rykira will be seen later, once the tower comes into play. Dante will be his normal, playful self._

 _With that, I release you to read the next installment. Let's see what Lash was so up tight about, hm? :3 Enjoy!_


	2. Lets Welcome Chaos

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 2: Let's Welcome Chaos**

* * *

Kira took a slow breath before she placed her hands on the handles of the double doors leading into the building, then- with a grin- she flung them open and strolled in like she owned the place. "Yo Dante! You got company!" Her eyes dusted over the office slowly, coming to rest on the nurse that had sprawled himself over the couch, arms and head leaning across the back of it. She could see, even from here, the tension in his position. He'd lost his shoes at some point, likely leaving the possibly blood-tracking devices by the door. A sentiment she didn't share, as she walked over toward the newly placed desk that sat in the center of the room. She placed both hands on the front of it, then swung herself over and landed in the massive chair that sat behind it- spinning it with the landing until it faced the door leading to the back of the building. She heard the steps long before Dante pushed open the door- a dingy towel in the other hand.

"Was starting to wonder if you were gonna' show up, what took you so long?" He grinned from under the towel as he roughly buffed his hair to some semblance of dryness. "You missed the hot water, and cold showers really don't do anything for me." The grin turned just a bit more devious, even as Kira lashed out and kicked him in the thigh playfully- planting a faint boot-shaped dust-print on his leather pants. He hadn't even bothered to finish buttoning the damn things, she noticed.

"I'm sorry, do I need to give you boys thirty minutes? It might help sourpuss over there with his attitude." She returned her legs to their crossed at the knee position, resting her hands across her bosom with laced fingers. A sharp gaze turned to the man on the couch, who'd lifted his head up and moved his shoulders so he could comfortably address the two from his spot. She noticed, then, that his eyes held a hard edge... One far worse than what she'd received outside.

"Dante, for one, I believe I asked you to keep the offers to a minimum with my charge present." The laugh that he received- from Kira oddly enough- made him pause only briefly. "Two, we have business to attend to, unfortunately." His eyes slowly followed Dante as the larger man took a seat on the edge of the desk, pushing a pizza box out of the way to do so. A pair of frosted blue eyes gazed from under the towel as he put the finishing touches on his hair, a chill to them that Kira did not miss when they passed over her to rest on Lash.

"Business. That's something you don't normally bring me. Something haunting the hospital?" He snapped the towel off his head, the end cracking the air, before he threw it over his shoulder and rested one elbow, one hand on his thighs. She took easy notice of the tension that now plagued him as well... It was then she realized she was missing a few pieces of information on this situation.

A small laugh actually lifted off of Lash's lips, bringing her attention back to him immediately. It was not a happy laugh. "Would that it were that simple, but no... A few months ago, you confided something in me, Dante... That you'd seen someone you once thought dead." Kira practically heard teeth click as Dante tightened up beside her. Lash gave him a very slow, lazy grin... One that she had often seen when Lash thought her not looking. When he was lost in thought... One that made him look completely insane. "I've seen the same specter, and I can assure you, he's very much alive. He, and someone else. Someone I'd rather keep away from Kira, at all costs. I find it far too 'coincidental' that they are both here. I find it far more concerning, however, that the catacombs under the hospital were broken into in the same night that I laid eyes on him." She let her eyes wonder from Dante, to Lash, and back again. The set in Dante's shoulders, as Lash spoke, made her wonder exactly what she had missed.

"Someone care to fill me in on what this means, darlings?" The words left her before she could stop them, and she almost, _almost_ , regretted it immediately when Lash's eyes turned to her. Her skin made a run for it, as those jewel-colored eyes locked onto her own mixed match ones. There was something very wrong about the way his eyes looked in that moment. Something that truthfully made her want to _run_. She would pride herself later, however, on holding that gaze as she continued to speak. "Someone's back in town, fine. Someone who's supposed to be dead, isn't. Fair enough. How does this warrant my attention, and what am I missing that's got you both ready to jump at a pin drop?" She shuddered, almost imperceptibly, when Dante's cold eyes landed on her skin. She didn't have to see them to know it was not a good look.

"You'd be ready to jump too, if you found out your brother was alive- and trying to open the gates to Hell." Kira froze, very carefully breaking her gaze from Lash to look at the silver-mane beside her.

"His companion is the one who worries me the most, however." Dante's near silver gaze slid back over to her guardian, and her's followed. Lash had moved, she noticed, and sat in a position very similar to hers. Or rather, hers was similar to his- she'd picked it up from him. "He travels with Arkham."

Kira swore she heard her own pulse skip a beat. "Who's that, and what does he have to do with my brother?" She almost didn't hear him, over the sound of her own blood rushing in her ears.

"We both have our ghosts, it seems... Arkham is my... donor. I refuse to acknowledge what he was, at one point. He lost that right when he killed my mother." She reached up, pushing burgundy bangs out of her face- only to have them fall back over her eyes. There was a very potent ache behind her eyes, suddenly... "And if he's working with your brother, who's trying to open the gates to Hell, then it means he's trouble."

"Trouble is one word for it, yes." Kira turned her eyes, half lidded, toward the man on the couch. "A threat is another. You are... unaware of your bloodline, Kira. A fact I apologize for, and planned to remedy- I have run out of viable options in that category, however." He moved slowly, and Kira took notice this time of the grace with which he moved. Her breath hitched and she gripped the arm of the chair a little bit tighter.

He was doing that thing again. That thing where _he stops being human_. It unnerved her, every damned time. Even as Lash turned his gaze to her, and gave her a heart stopping smile- one far too perfect to be real- she had no desire other than to _run_. To get up, and get out of there as fast as she physically could... She knew better, however. She knew it would be completely _useless_. He'd have her in a heart beat, and there would be nothing she could do. Kira took a moment to close her eyes, take a breath, and lick her suddenly very dry lips. She let that breath out very slowly, and composed herself before she spoke. "What the flying _fuck_ are you talking about?" So, maybe composed wasn't the right word- she'd warded off the panic, at least.

A chuckle snapped her eyes open, and she was suddenly staring into a pair of perfectly blue eyes. The color almost reminded her of ultramarine, that shade they used to make all the others when it came to dyes... "You carry a bloodline that makes you the perfect host. Sparda slew a priestess in sealing the tower, the physical gateway to the demonic world- and you carry her blood. You, and Mary." Lash stood from his stooped position, reaching a hand out to rest it on her head. "I have no doubt Arkham chose Kalina for that very reason, for the children she could create for him. She did just that, in giving him you, and your sister. The perfect set of sacrifices for the tower. One, to be the key to the gate. One, to be the gatekeeper's vessel." Lash ruffled her hair, slightly shaking the shell-shocked woman in Dante's chair.

"Heh, and here I thought I was the only one with a horrifically fucked up family." She blinked, suddenly quite thankful for the man's sarcasm. It gave her something else to respond to, other than the painful truths that her not-so-human guardian was giving to her.

"Seems we have something in common, on that front. Score, for being the sane one in the family?" She smiled, though it certainly didn't reach her eyes, and relaxed immediately into the chair, falling slack and closing her eyes.

It seemed, however, that fate- or rather, a certain blue eyed devil- would not let her rest. "Sadly, Kira, I didn't bring you here to inform you." A blue eye fluttered open, fixing Lash with a withering glare. "I brought you here to protect you. I know no one better to guard you against another devil." A bright ruby eye opened to join it's inverted twin, and she arched a brow slowly. "Ah... Yes... You don't know about that, do you?"

The laugh that suddenly left Dante hit the rafters. She sat up a bit, giving the silver-mane a strange look until he spoke. "You seriously haven't told her?"

"I've had no reason to do so." Lash looked, for all the world, like he was talking about the weather or something equally mundane. "Had I a reason to tell her you were a half-devil, I'd have told her sooner. After all, it's only just now becoming relevant." Kira blinked slowly, then rubbed the corners of her eyes as Dante chuckled again. She slowly looked up from staring at her palm.

"You mean to tell me, the man you've been fucking isn't human either?" The tone was not what surprised Lash. Nor was the accusation. It was one little word, tagged onto the end, that froze him where he stood. ' _Either_ '. Kira smiled softly, her eyes resting on the perfect statue that now stood in front of her. "Why doesn't that shock me, Lash. Of all the shit you've spewed at me tonight, that honestly shocks me the least."

The blonde stood there for a good minute, before he smirked slowly and let go of a chuckle. "You took that a lot better than I thought you would."

"You'll have to do better than that, after telling me I'm a key to the end of the damn world."

"A gate, actually." Just like that, he'd snapped back into seriousness. "You... unfortunately, being the first born, are more suitable as a vessel to the gate keeper. A task with a possibly much darker fate than simply being the blood key to open the said gate." He gave a small sigh, seemingly a bit less tense than he had only moments before. "There is a reason I took you, and only you, away from Arkham. Kalina would be rendered barren by age, and without you, Mary would be useless. There are other factors, aside from just your birth order, that play into your roll as the keeper's vessel, but they are isolating factors. She can not take your spot; nor you, hers. I figured that to be the best, easiest, manor of preventing this plan from coming to fruition..." Kira heard the unspoken word at the end of that sentence.

"Something changed, right?" She lifted herself in the seat, shifting and curling a leg under herself as she snuggled into the leather. She had no idea why, but some of the tension was gone from the room. A factor she was very grateful for.

"He succeeded in recruiting Vergil." Her brow tilted slightly, and she gave Lash a questioning look. "Had I thought he would successfully gain your brother's aid, Dante, I would have prepared another set of safeties. I had not anticipated the prideful elder son's joining in this matter. I had honestly expected him to fight against it." The scoff that left his lover's lips actually made Kira look up at him.

"You don't know Vergil, in that case. He's always been a bit... hungry. This is too good of a chance for him to pass up." Dante slid off the desk, ruffling his now dry hair, and made his way over to the door leading to the back of the building. Lash's eyes never left the man as he stepped through the door and vanished. The sigh that left the blonde actually made Kira smile,

"Would that I had seen his coming, much of this could be avoided. Those two, however, are the bane of the Heaven's and the Hell's both..." The words were hardly a whisper, yet Kira had heard them. She arched a brow slightly before she slid out of the leather chair and walked over to her guardian. He turned those far-too-blue eyes on her, and she immediately felt the pressure from earlier return. It was not as intense, but it was certainly there... He could see the question in her eyes, likely.

"What else have you hidden from me, Lash? We're on a roll here, with all the stories and tall tales. Any more to share?" She tucked her thumbs into the belt loops by her pockets, fingers dipping into them. Mix matched eyes locked onto a pair of true blues, and they stayed there. Even as the tension in the room returned for her, she was quite proud of herself for holding the eye contact.

"What do you want to know?" Such a simple question... Such a _loaded_ question.

"What are _you_? Dante's colors kinda give him away, but you look human." … " _But no human has ever looked that perfect, you asshole._ " She was quite careful, in that moment, to keep a blank expression. And to keep her words well filtered.

The grin that lifted the corner of his eyes, however, made her falter just slightly. "I am the wall, the chaos that ruins the order of things. That is what _I_ am." Kira glared softly, then blew out a slow breath.

"Liar." She almost heard the indignant sputter as the matching look crossed his face.

"You don't believe me?" Kira almost smiled.

"Not at all. You gave me cryptics. I want facts." That moment, she almost regretted asking... She'd asked before, after all. And she'd received a much less civil answer.

The fire that lit up behind Lash's eyes made her shudder, and she actually stepped back from him, colliding with the desk in the process. Neither of them heard the door open from the back of the building. "I am the fallen angel who's entire existence hinges on the success of my intervention, Kira. Your life, and my desire to keep you alive, jeopardizes the entirety of my own." Lash stepped into her, the grin on his face loosing a bit of it's collected edge. He placed his hands on the desk behind her, caging the young woman in place. "You are the entire reason that this is still a problem, Kira. And I am not above removing the issue entirely, if it goes too far. You understand what I am saying, correct? You're a smart girl..." The woman visibly paled as she came to grasp with what he was saying. Her mind ran in two directions at that moment:

Fight,

or Flight.

...and she did, perhaps, the most stupid option of all. Kira, in her infinite wisdom of the moment, surged forward and slammed her head into his. Of all of the possible reactions Lash had been expecting, that had certainly been on the bottom of the list. He reeled back, grasping his now throbbing forehead with guttural cry- and inadvertently, releasing Kira. She set her eyes immediately on the silver-mane that had seen her display, and moved. She was beside him in a second, and Dante had actually moved to push her behind him when they heard the cackle that left Lash's lips. They shared a fraction of a second glance- the same thought obvious on both of their faces: " _What the fuck_?"

"You... are just as much of a wild card as they are, Kira! And that is the reason why you will continue to live." Lash looked over to them, past his hand, before he pulled it away and shook is head with a very faint smile. His eyes were wild, but his smile was eerily sincere. "Anyone else, I would simply end. They would be too much of a gamble, too much of a risk. You, Kira, are a well calculated one... and one I have grown far too fond of. I know, without a doubt, you will fight your fate as the gate keeper's vessel. I have little fear of you falling to her, and less that she will be able to open the gate for them with your constant pressing for control if you do. I know you, and I know you will not go without a fight. Just know, that if you give up... I will end you. Swiftly, mercilessly. I will not have my existence on this plane wasted by a stubborn child. Yet..." He turned that smile directly to Kira, and it grew just slightly. She stood there, completely shocked, by Dante's side as they both looked over the blonde. She took that moment, in his delirium, to speak.

"You'd kill me, if it meant saving you." Some part of her didn't want to hear the answer to that question.

"That's right. I've waited far too long." ...and yet, another part of her needed to. She needed the truth, in that moment.

"And that is the only reason you won't kill me now, and be rid of the chance." Dante raised a hand, and rested it on her shoulder, pale blue eyes watching her slowly as she kept her own hidden under her hair.

"That, and because I have grown fond of you over the last decade." Oddly comforting, that thought... Though it did nothing to change her opinion.

"You're insane, Lash." The snort she heard from him actually made her smile- such a very human, and rude sound.

"Wouldn't you be?" And to that, she had no argument.

* * *

 _Authoress' Notes:_

 _Version #3! It's also slightly more logical- I gave Lash a bit more reason to be snippy, and angry. He's stressed! Poor lil angel... I also removed some of his more physical reactions, made it more a mental thing for him. Retains the darker outlook from the original, however. :3_


	3. Daybreak

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 3: Daybreak**

* * *

Pale rays seeped through the window, lighting the dust on the air more than the room. Unsurprisingly, the cocooned figure atop the couch did not move. A lithe hand hung out of one fold of the blanket, twitching occasionally. It wasn't until someone laid into the horn on their car in the streets outside that she moved, grumbling something that sounded just a bit violent before she cracked her eyes open. She blinked slowly, twice, then batted the overly large blanket over her face. A faint groan left the mound of blanket and pillow, and it constricted around the occupant. " _Why must morning be so early..._ " A soft yawn came from the pile, even as it moved to uncover the nose and mouth of a pale young face. She took a slow, deep breath... Then nuzzled back into the blanket. There was a scent there... A pleasant one, all things considered. It was clean, yet there was a lingering cologne... one she recognized. Under that was another scent, one that she decidedly did not know, but liked all the same. A sleepy nuzzle into the fabric brought a deeper whiff of the illusive scent... And then she all but gagged, bolting up right in the blanket and almost throwing herself from the couch in the process. She found the scent, alright. And another, lurking under it, that sent her mind down venues it really didn't need to go to considering who's blanket it was. She pushed the coils of fabric off her shoulders, tugging her oversized t-shirt from it so she could sit comfortably while she sucked in a lung full of clean air. Kira sighed after a moment, blinking slightly bleary eyes into focus as she rubbed the corners. She found herself staring into the office portion of Dante's shop, and it took her a moment to realize the why, and how of her current situation...

* * *

 _"You're insane, Lash." The sound he'd made, then, had been something so completely human that she had actually smiled._

 _"Wouldn't you be?" That she couldn't- wouldn't- argue. She didn't have the experience to argue it, nor the desire to..._

 _"I think you've both lost your god damned minds." The two had actually laughed, together, with a smile on their faces. Something that made Dante give an exasperated sigh. Kira grinned, reaching up to pat his shoulder before she stepped around him, moving to stand between him and Lash._

 _"You might just be right... But if I'm riding this crazy train, god knows you're driving it." She turned a grin up to him, and for a fraction of a second, the weariness in her eyes was enough to dull their unique shades. A feature it seems even she noticed, looking back, before the yawn hit her. The chuckle that rose from Lash was enough to make her click her teeth together and turn to him._

 _"This has been a rather... tiresome night, hasn't it?" He offered up a smile, and she returned it._

 _"Aye..." Lash stretched upwards, pulling his already lanky body to an impossible length before he slacked and moved for the door. "Oi, where're you headin'?" Kira actually moved to follow him._

 _"I'll be back, you'll crash here for the night- both for your safety, and because I don't trust you to drive that thing when you're tired. I'll go grab a bag for you." Lash tossed a smile over his shoulder, and for once that night, he looked completely human._

 _"Grab one for yourself, too." Kira almost missed the undertone in that sentence, slowly catching it at the end before she turned to glare at Dante over her shoulder._

 _"Dude, if you even think about it while I'm here, I will personally pistol whip you. With your own gun." The laugh that left Dante in that moment told her everything she needed to know- that he was only half joking, but would respect both wishes... and that he was completely okay with our crashing at his place without pretenses. "Crazy buffoon..."_

 _"Hey, you seem to like it." She could practically hear the grin on his face, even now._

 _"It's enjoyable, if that's what you mean." A massive hand dropped onto her shoulder, and she grinned slowly. Lash took that moment to chuckle and move for the door again, slipping back into the bloodstained shoes by the door._

 _"You two play nice, I'll be back in an hour."_

 _"We will!" The tandem echo that struck the roof, followed by laughter, was perhaps her favorite part of that little memory... Even as the door closed behind him, Lash carried a smile on his face. An honest, sincerely happy smile._

 _She'd remember that smile for a very, very long time..._

 _"Yo, Ki'?" The sound of her nickname, now with all the more irony in it's pronunciation, brought her back to the present._

 _"Yes, Dante?" She stretched upwards, sighing softly at the sound of a number of cracks along her spine. The realignment was exactly what she needed, in that moment._

 _"Tell me, what do you know in self-defense?" She stilled, with her hands still above her head, and blinked slowly. In recollection, she likely should have expected such a question eventually._

 _"Enough to keep me out of trouble, what's up?" Slowly, she dropped her hands and looked up at the platinum haired male. He had one of the most serious expressions she'd seen on his face to date. It looked completely out of place on Dante's mug, yet... Strangely enough, it didn't look bad._

 _"If this is headed where I think it is... You're going to need more than that." She suddenly didn't like where the conversation was headed._

 _"And that means...?" Oh, how eloquent she was, in her semi delirious state last night..._

 _"That one of us is going to have to teach you how to defend yourself against a demon, and in the worst case scenario, against a devil. So, try again, what do you know?" Dante had yet to actually look at her, seemingly staring off into space in that moment- despite the fact his voice was as clear and serious as she'd ever heard it. Some small part of her knew this would be a topic, yet she still hesitated. "Well?"_

 _"Mixed martial arts, multiple weapons, after school with some self defenses program. That's about the extent of it, and it's never been used in combat- so I don't really think it counts. Worst I've had to do is punch a grabby customer." She slowly licked her bottom lip as she finished, then stepped out from under his arm and moved for the couch. This time, she felt his eyes on her. They were cold, analyzing... Not at all the same, wandering eyes that brought a blush to her skin occasionally._

 _"We'll start tomorrow then, see how much of it shows." She yawned softly, pausing to endure it for the duration, before she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, tired as it was._

 _"I'll see you in the mornin', then."_

* * *

She sighed as she finally rubbed the remaining bleariness from her eyes, then grumbled out something about 'mornings' and 'going to hell'. Her hands dropped to her lap before she slumped, resting her shoulders on her splayed knees. Kira almost tipped herself off the couch, when she relaxed a bit too far, and quickly flung herself back against the leather. She let out a slow breath before she extended her legs, still wrapped in the blanket, and stood. The motion caused the fabric to pool at her calves, even as it was open and unraveling around her knees. For the tiniest fraction of a second, she regretted the tiny shorts she wore to sleep in- the old t-shirt she wore covered them, leaving an impression she really didn't want to hear from Dante about. That thought was chased away, however, by the taste of morning and the the feel of her hair. She cringed, reaching into her bag to pull the smaller bath bag from it. Soaps, shampoos, and a towel. Kira took the extra moment to grab her sweats and matching hoodie, as well as the rest of her essentials, before she stepped out of the mountain of blankets and made her way to the door that lead into the back of the building. Silence greeted her, and she smiled as she made her way toward the bathroom. She passed a very bleary eyed Dante on the way, a towel in his hair and one around his hips. Her half asleep brain let her eyes wander, and appreciate, the lack of coverage that the still sleeping male had. She snickered, turning a corner as Dante blinked awake and turned to look at her. "Oi! Proof of pants or lack of is required in this house!" She laughed, continuing her path away from the sleepy pervert. With a small grin, she rounded into the bath and set her things down. She stripped quickly, and sat to trying to figure out the damnable plumbing device...

A sharp hiss hit the air as Kira finally managed to get the shower to operate- it really was true, that any shower that wasn't yours was impossible to work. She did have to give Dante one thing- he had hot water. Hotter than her human hide could stand. She took a moment to fix the temperature to something other than "Hell Fire Hot" before she proceeded, scrubbing her hair as the last dredges of sleep drifted down the drain with the suds. She scrubbed almost viciously at her skin, trying to rub away the less savory parts of yesterday's evening. Afterward, feeling she had a few minutes, she simply rested her head against the tile and let the water work, while her mind wandered.

" _Training with Dante... Why does this seem like a beautifully bad idea. Especially given the circumstances._ " She chuckled softly, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. After a brief moment, she opened her eyes and actually looked at the wet-black locks in her hand. A small smile lifts her lips before she drops them. " _I wonder, will Mary get dragged into all of this as well? Will I see her?_ " That smile drooped rather quickly at another thought... " _Will she be all right, when all this goes down?_ " Kira sighed softly, pulling head head off the tile and whipping her hair back over her shoulders before she killed the water and toweled off. She took only a moment to braid her hair before she jumped out and dressed. She tugged her socks on as she padded down the hall way, making her way to where she could hear some form of conversation... She stopped in the hall way, however, when she heard 'what'.

"You really think she can handle that?"

"There's only one way to find out- I promise I won't go too hard on her."

"Liar."

"I won't- we don't need her injured if Vergil makes a move before she's ready."

"She won't be ready regardless, you realize there is very, very little hope if she encounters him, correct?" She heard the sound a chair scooting out, then made her way around the corner.

"I thought you were banking-ey! Hey! Good morning, Kira!" She glared at Dante, and his overly cheery smile.

"Don't 'good morning' me, Ms. Doubting Debbie." Dante actually looked embarrassed, while Lash just chuckled over his mug of coffee.

"Good morning, Kira. Rest well?" He looked over to her, blue eyes sparkling with a shade of amusement.

"As well as I could on the couch. What's for breakfast?" She heard a scoff from the man sitting with his back to the door, and promptly kicked the leg of his chair. It budged, barely.

"Your options are cold pizza, and dubious strawberry icecream. And coffee, courtesy of yours truly." Kira actually felt her brow twitch as she ruffled Dante's hair, earning a rather indignant yelp from the man before she moved toward the coffee pot.

"So, we need to go shopping after."

"Very likely." Another sip of his coffee.

"So, training, shopping, work. Am I missing anything in the plan for the day?" Kira looked up from her own coffee, taking a sip to check the consistency of it.

"That does sound about right, I believe Dante is ready to go when you are." He looked up from his coffee, and caught her eyes with his own. There was a very clear look in them- 'be careful'. She'd seen it a hundred times before. Every time she left for a late shift at work, every time she left on her own for something other than work or Lianna's. She'd seen it when she left for work on a normal shift a time or two. It brought a small smile to her face as she sipped her coffee greedily.

"Then let me finish my coffee, and we can go." She heard a small chuckle from Dante, then looked up to see him standing from his chair- no shirt in sight, as was the usual.

"You're going no where, just meet me in the office when you're ready. We'll see how much you actually retained, and how much of it you can apply." He gave her a grin, and for a second she was actually rather shocked. He was serious- yet also being his normal, snarky self... She didn't know if she was about to walk into an ass kicking, or a lesson.

"Dually noted..." She lifted the mug to her lips again, watching the man wander out of the room in a pair of black sweat pants and a pair of socks. "Why do I get the feeling I signed a check my ass can't cash?"

"Because you said yes to training with a half devil." Kira blinked slowly, sipping her coffee again.

"Mm... that might be it, yes. Wish me luck?" She grinned slightly, downing the last gulp before she took a deep breath and started stretching her arms as she walked for the door.

"You will need more than luck, Kira... Please, take this seriously. As much as I dislike the idea, you need the practice... I can't count on you getting lucky, or simply willing your way out of a match with a demon spirit. We need you capable of fighting." She looked back at the man who was watching her over the edge of his coffee cup. "When Dante think's you're ready to move onto weapons, we have a few ideas for you. Go, see what you know, what you can learn, and what you need. We'll move from there." Kira smiled slightly, letting it slowly turn into a smirk.

"Sure thing, Lash..." A quick step carried her out the door, and she worked her stretches all the way down the hall. Arms, sides, neck, hands, wrists, everything but her legs. She made it to the door as she finished her upper body, and planned to do the legs as soon as she crossed into the office. Or she would have, had she not found herself snatched through the door way as soon as she opened it. She felt the hand on her arm more than seen it, as she was pulled through and sent airborne. A very brief ' _what the fuck_ ' echoed off her lips before she rolled and landed. It was rough, given she had no expectations of the attack, but she did manage it. That's when she actually verbalized: "What the _fuck_ , Dante?"

"You won't get the luxury of preparation time against a demon... nor against Vergil. Consider that lesson number one." The half-devil stood by the door, arms crossed over a broad chest, and a cool, calculating look in his eyes. There was something about that look that made her skin flush... He was most certainly judging her, and she knew it. Slowly, she stood, slipping into a stance that came to her rather naturally- proving she hadn't lost her years of training from lack of use, after all. Dante moved, then, and she had absolutely no idea where he went...

...Until he appeared behind her. She had a fraction of a second, less than, to turn and throw up a guard before his palm came slamming into her, throwing her off her feet and into a roll on the floor. She used that roll, the momentum, to throw herself back to her feet at the end of it. "Very good, slow, but good." She almost growled, her left eye twitching faintly before she adjusted her feet a bit. She stayed there, waiting on his movement...

One that never came. With a grin, he noticed her slowly growing exasperation with him, and slipped into a different stance. He motioned with one hand for her to come at him- and for a moment he swore that her red eye flashed. To her credit, she noticed his very faint slip of attention and bolted toward him. She threw a basic jab, left handed, and was intercepted by his right arm. The strike was nothing in terms of power. She continued that, small jabs and motions to the sides... getting a feel for him, he realized, after she backed off a step. He arched a brow when she did so, only to have a rather cocky grin greet him. She came in, then, close and throwing jabs under his guard. They didn't hurt, but the fact she turned her size into a quick advantage like that had been something unexpected. Kira chose that moment, feeling that faint slip... and slammed into him with her shoulder and her fist. She aimed low, to the side, for a space between the muscles and the bone. The shot into his hip actually sent his stance askew, and she jumped for the chance. He felt a hand grab his hair, and grinned at her. A quicker hand grabbed the knee she sent flying toward his face, and the other grabbed her hip. He sent her spinning, spiraling away from him and through the air. She took a few strands of hair with her, but she had no chance of landing safely. Dante grinned, bolting forward and grabbing her from the air, 'throwing' her into the floor of his office and placing a palm against her throat. She gasped- both from the impact and sudden force against her neck, he assumed- and stared up at him wild eyed for a moment. It took her a moment, sadly, to realize what had happened. When she spoke, however, he swore he heard a shade of giddiness in her voice.

"Holy hell, you're fast."

The grin that split her face was all the proof he needed for that guess.

* * *

 _Authoress' Notes:_

 _(Note removed, as it covered a continuity error that has been resolved. Enjoy v.3.1! xD)  
_


	4. Attention

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 4: Attention**

* * *

Grass flew, scattering yet again as the feminine form went sliding across it. And again, as she had so many times prior, she groaned and stood up. A faint growl left her as she shook some of the grass from her hair, then blew a piece of it off her lip. How many times was that? Eighteen, nineteen? She had long since lost count from the sheer number of times that Dante had sent her sliding across the ground. Or was it the number of times her head had forcibly collided with the dirt that was ruining her track? Regardless, she took a breath and moved her arms back into position, closing her guard and keeping her line of sight open. Blood dripped from her cheek- a rock had been in her landing path- and she rubbed it off on her shirt. Across from her stood a nearly untouched man, platinum white hair shining in the sun... And the grin on his face rivaled the offending orb for brilliance.

"You're having far too god's damned much fun with this, Dante..." The busted lip she'd obtained along the way did nothing to keep her growling tone intimidating. It softened it, and just made her that much more irritated.

"Cause you're fun to watch, and you're trying! Damn right I'm having fun with it!" The grin that had never left his face after we'd upgraded to an outdoor venue seemed to get just that much wider when he spoke.

"That's not what you were saying this morning!" She felt her form slip, the growl that came from her throat just bringing that much more spark to the man's eyes. She took a slow breath, resettling her stance before she stilled. _In. Out. Breathe in... Breathe out, and_ _ **feel**_. Her breathing slowed, and she opened her eyes to glare at Dante across the grass. The tension was almost visible, as it started in her legs and worked up. Her eyes drifted closed with a breath- and reopened with a determination that thrilled Dante as much as it worried him. She really was trying to hurt him. She was failing, though she had gotten him good once- a rather colorful bruise on his ribs- but she was still trying. That was both her bane and her blessing- she didn't give up, regardless of the challenge. He worried, briefly, just how much trouble she'd be in if she were against another devil... She'd have no choice but to run- but would she?

That being said, she was fast. More than once Kira had bruised a cheek, and more often than that did she force him to block her, instead of simply moving out of the way. Her speed was her saving grace, as was the fact she actually had a good head on her shoulders for hand to hand combat... What was it, that she said she'd studied for a few years? Kali? Some multi-weapon art that she claimed didn't count because she'd never had to actually fight someone. Bullshit, it counted, or she wouldn't have managed to put a mark on his skin!

The trailing thought pattern almost cost him another, as he dodged to the side with the agility of something inhuman- much to Kira's very visual anger. She slid slightly as she tried to stop on the grass, only to turn and throw her fist into his now turning side... The cry, bordering on scream, that carried on the wind as he caught her hand was enough to rattle the windows in the nearby cars. "Fuck you! Every god damned inch of you!" Kira wrenched her now caught hand from his grasp as Dante threw his head back with a very rich laugh.

"Easy babe, you'll get better." His grin broadened as she threw another punch at his face- making him lean his head to the side. "You have to practice. What's that old phrase?" And again. " 'Practice makes perfect'?" A high flying kick, boot leaving a trail of grass through the air. "You haven't practiced in years, right? You're doing pretty damn well for someone who-" Dante was actually forced to drop, ducking under another kick- one that would have easily broken his jaw. "-supposedly hasn't picked up a weapon or thrown a punch in five or so years!" He realized, only then, that the glint in Kira's eyes was as much joy as it was anger... and a fraction of a second too late. Her knee collided with the side of his head, whiting-out his vision as he was sent sprawling on the grass himself.

"And again, fuck you. You deserved that one." Kira stood there, panting with an intensity that made her shoulders heave with every breath. She glared at the slowly rising silver-mane, giving a small grin and spitting out a small piece of grass. "I haven't had a need to punch something since I passed puberty and got out of the pissy brat stage. The fuck makes you think I needed to use those skills?"

"Hell's bells, babe... I figured you'd had to drag someone over the bar at least once. Damn, you sure know how to ring someone's bells- make anyone think you did it regularly." Dante actually shook his head, giving her a lazy grin as he moved to his feet, only to laugh as she tightened her stance and raised her hands again. He gave her a soft laugh before holding his hands up in a surrender. "Easy, easy. Ice cream and a truce?"

"Your truce can suck it. Ice cream I will take." Kira slowly relaxed her hands, arms slacking after a moment. The faintest of smiles drifted onto her face as she relaxed a bit. "Shower first, I think I earned it after this bullshit..." Dante actually laughed before he walked up to her, throwing an arm over her shoulders and guiding her out of the field.

"Deal."

* * *

 _Everyday, like clock work, when the old church bells began to toll two in the afternoon, the neons came on and the door bar was pulled away. Everyday, like clock work, in the very 'wrong' end of town, she'd throw open the doors and grin at the world. Everyday, like clock work, for the last week, she'd been watched._

" _This woman is either very brave, or very stupid. Truthfully, it could be either one at this point._ " Thrice now, he'd actually come into the establishment and taken a seat. Both times prior, in a back booth where the light was dim. All three times he'd worn the same black on black attire, blending into the shade of the place. And there was much of it to be found. This was known as a 'red light' district for good reason- mortals and demons of ill repute, manner, and desire lurked in every shadow and corner. Yet, here she was. Working the bar with a smile on her face and a skip in her step... A skip that was noticeably less bouncy this evening- weary even. Something, or someone, had put the girl through her paces today. She'd be much easier to take by force, if it came to that, and should they choose today to do so.

"Can I get you anything, Tall-Dark-and-Quiet?" That ever so chipper, false-happy voice... The bar's other employee, official employee that is, had prodded him with the same question as she had the days prior. Her painted lips quirked slightly, a false smile to match her voice. She recognized him this time, despite the attire. Or perhaps, because of it.

"My answer remains the same." Her lip quirked slightly, and chuckled.

"As is mine, I'll be here if you change your mind." That false-happy smile had given way to a properly amused expression. He put her at double his age, perhaps a bit less, with the lines that made themselves known. She either aged very well, for a human, or held the benefit of good genetics. Lira, he'd heard her called, offered up another smile before she turned to continue her circuit. A false name, for certain, but it rang nicely off the tongue with Kira's.

His eyes drifted back to the bar, pausing only momentarily to watch Lira stop at another table, and settled on the tinted-brunette as she polished another tumbler. She seemed completely oblivious to him, to his constant watch, as she chatted with one of the early evening patrons. Outside, he could hear the bell of the church... Six tolls, six in the evening. Four hours since she'd started, three since he'd ventured in. Another before she'd be inclined to step out, and take the floor from Lira while the owner took the bar. This was the pattern, every night she worked. Two years she'd worked this bar- only working under the wing of the owner for a mere six months before she was left to open the bar on her own in the evenings. Should they know the girl's true worth, they'd have never left her unguarded.

"Li~ra~. An~gel~. Come here." A breezy alto carried over the music, and the patron's, to draw the attention of the statuesque woman who wandered the floor. Idly, he wondered what voice she'd take after possession... It was always the voice that gave it away first, then the eyes. Lira's hip swaying motion as she moved around the tables actually caught his attention, drawing his eyes as he watched her close in on the bar, a deft hand removing an empty bottle from a table as she passed. She had been there many years, with such a subtle attention to detail and instinctive motion. "Switch with me. I want to walk a bit." Kira had actually leaned against the bar, giving the older woman a rather energetic look.

"Oh? So early, my dear? What's the occasion? See someone who catches your eye?" Kira laughed softly, giving the woman a grin. She leaned back, pushing her hair back out of her face with an eye- her left one- closed. The mane simply fell back into it's well trained place, laying in light feathers over her eye. Just thick enough to block the color of the eye from view, but not enough to block her sight.

"You know that's bullshit, everyone in here is old enough to be my father and change- I'll pass on that menu. All yours, sweetheart." The young woman grinned, the motion actually pulling her lips at an angle he could see the faint swelling in the lower one, more to the left side... She looked slightly feral, in that moment, with her obviously busted lip and a grin tugging them to show it. It didn't take a genius to know she'd been in some form of altercation earlier that day- the way she moved behind the bar compared to normal was enough to give that fact away.

"Even I don't dive for table scraps my dear- hop over." Lira sat her tray down, sashaying down to the end before swinging around and under a small lift-able section to take Kira's place behind the bar. Kira, however, simply placed her hands on top of it and threw her legs over- landing on one of the stools that was mounted to the floor in front of the bar. The wince, however, proved she certainly regretted the motion. An injury from the day's activities? Probably a heavy bruise, or laceration, in the ribs or hip region... Lira was no fool, I realized, as she noticed the motion immediately. "...Do I need to go beat Dante's ass? I know Lash wouldn't so much as touch a hair on your head, but pretty boy might."

Kira actually laughed, head tilting back with the bell like tone as she rested her arms back on the bar. Her braid actually pooled atop the bar, curling in random loops as she leaned her head back enough to look up at Lira, who'd come to stand directly behind her. "Sweetheart, I love you, and I appreciate the sentiment. Trust me, you wouldn't be able to hit him- so don't waste your time." Lira seemed to go from irritated to livid- resting both hands on the bar before taking one to turn the younger woman's face at different angles. From here, the grin that could be heard on her voice was invisible. "Relax, Li'. We have an arrangement, due to certain... circumstances that have risen. He helps me get better with what I've left unused for too many years, I amuse him. And occasionally, give him a good run for his milk-money."

"You know Lash will be pissed if he finds out- hell, I want to beat his ass, I can't imagine what Lash would do to him..." Lira pulled her hand away from the younger woman's face, letting her sit up before she turned to look over her shoulder at the near amazonian woman.

"Would you believe me if I told you Lash gave us his blessings?" The almost teasing tone to her voice made the woman behind the bar straighten up a bit.

"...Liar."

"Hardly, he bought the ice cream afterward." Lira arched a brow, then gave a soft chuckle under her breath. Kira smiled, dropping off the stool before she stood, slowly stretching her arms upward.

"You're a fool, to tempt fate like that. Do be careful, however. Dante's not a little boy- and I would hate to have to shoot him." Lira looked across the bar at the woman, smirking almost knowingly. Some small part of him, human no doubt, wondered if the girl would be missed when she vanished.

Kira returned that smirk, rolling her shoulders slowly. "Yes, ma'am."

He'd have to break that little promise of hers.

She twisted slowly, illiciting a pop from her spine, before leaning back over the bar to tug a rag from somewhere and ring it out. The motion pulled her to her toes and gave an, admittedly, impressive view of her legs. She'd give them a good chase, if she chose to run, with a form like that... If he were human, that is. A whistle tore across the bar, breaking the thought trail as she rolled the towel and snapped it through the air. The crack immediately silenced to the offending patron, and brought a chuckle from a few others. She drifted, swaying with the music from the speakers and seemingly undisturbed by the call, wiping down tables and stools alike as she moved around the room. She paused only momentarily to speak to some of the patrons, wiping down their tables as well as she did, always wiping away from them. The girl appeared to be at least courteous- perhaps she'd have the dignity to go willingly, once proven to be outmatched... For some reason, he doubted that would be the case.

As fortune would have it, she carried a demonic bloodline. He had little doubt that it stemmed from Arkham's dabbling. Her touch had not faded, however, as his had with time. Her's was a biological blessing, where as his was a requested one. She shared the same, mix matched eyes with the vile man, though her own carried a spark his lacked. A spark of fire, and fight in her eyes that lent itself well to her wild nature. It was all the more prominent in the left, crimson eye- the eye of a demon, no doubt. He wondered, briefly, if she was aware of this gift... Even if she wasn't, under duress, it may well give her an edge that must be accounted for. And edge he honestly hoped to see- to witness for himself before they were forced to break her...

"Good evening." His thought trail was shattered by the same harmonious alto, the one that seemed to echo in the fabric of his hood. Silver-blue eyes immediately lifted to her own, a languid blank settling the thought behind them and wiping the slate clean. A thought for another time, certainly. Kira rested a cloth wrapped hand on the table, her hips moving to the side to settle her into an over all aesthetically pleasing position- yet not a provocative one. She knew how to work her tables, it seemed- Lira had taught her well. "How's the evening find you, hm? Enjoying the establishment?" She worked at the edge of the table, setting to her cleaning as she spoke with slow, wide strokes.

For a moment, he debated speaking... and decided it could do little harm. "Well enough, I suppose. A bit tacky for my tastes, but effective." The woman actually paused, flipping the tail of the rag into a more optimal position before she continued her task- seemingly completely oblivious to the insult.

"You seem to be mistaken, sir, if you thought this was a posh and proper establishment. Nearest place of such a repute is Fortuna- where the church is. Mind you, the liquor there is horribly expensive. And for much the same quality." Proper indeed, all business and manners. He leaned forward to rest his jaw on his thumbs, looking over his laced fingers at the girl- she avoided his eyes, he noticed.

"If I were looking for repute, I'd have stayed in Fortuna. I seek something different here. Something darker. And a little more lively." A faint smirk lifted the corner of her lip, once again making obvious the swelling- at this range, he could see the well masked cut in her lip. She'd covered the marks well, even the gash in her cheek was barely noticeable unless you looked for it. She'd been thrown around quite a bit, it seemed. At this range he could see the slight cant in her stance that gave away her bruised ribs... It would seem Dante had quite the 'play-date' with the girl.

"You'll have to wait another hour or so before they show up." A moments pause struck him- had she really thought he meant the cheap prostitutes who came in near the end of her shift? He could practically hear the laughter on her voice- though she contained it well. "Stick around, I promise they'll find you real quick, given how stiff you seem to be. Always eager to loosen up the patrons for us."

"You seem to be mistaken, if you thought I was here for one of your painted whores." The laughter spilled over her lips like a crescendo, bringing a smile to a number of patrons as they let their eyes wander to the corner he'd claimed. She actually stopped in her sweeping, resting a hand over her lips to hide the bright smile that had come to the surface. It seems he'd struck a cord with the girl, if she was so amused.

"Oh wow, you poor soul... So tense, and so up tight. I'll have to tell the ladies to give you a double- you seem like you might need it.~" The almost song-like quality of her voice gave away the teasing intent, as did the light in her eyes. Her hand slowly dropped, showing a rather shocking half smile that lifted her face in ways that gave her a beauty that was both youthful, and spiteful- almost arrogant. Had she realized the effect that her little charade had given her? It was little wonder Arkham had described her as the perfect vessel for a demoness who reveled in the chase... And chase she had, right across his temper. "Relax, doll. You're much too tight, if a little joke like that get's on your nerves so badly." Her smile slacked a bit, resting in an easy, amused expression. "I won't sell you out, I promise. You seem to have a genuine distaste for their... profession, so I'll warn them off you before I leave. Let us know if you need something else, or if you want to take up the offer of a drink. I'll be around for a few more hours." Kira dropped her hand back to the table, grabbing the rag she'd been using prior and finishing her sweep of the table swiftly. She pulled it off and folded it, before moving to another table with renewed skip in her step. Without a doubt, he now had her attention. Now, how best to use it...

* * *

 _Authoress' Notes:_

 _Ch.4V.3! This one took less reworking, oddly enough. I like it though. :3 Onward!_


	5. Praying for a Nightmare

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 5: Hopes and Dreams**

* * *

 _Pale, velvet skin stretched thin... the color of damp sand. It pulled, stretching wide- before a laughter rang out, into the heavens above them. A mad, daft laughter. That skin stretched to nearly translucent as the wings opened, carrying a beautiful, violent looking woman into the air. Behind her lashed a spade tail, the tip spiking wickedly as it dripped... In her hands rested the wounded body of something- barely recognizable for the human it used to be- now rendered a bloody mess by her claws, her teeth... That song like laugh lifted into the heavens as she flew higher still- giddy off the blood of the creature in her arms... Until she spun, throwing the carcass into the air below her- a scream lifting from the damaged body. The sound of the body splattering into the boiling resin below made Kira shudder, violently, beyond the dream. It was then, that the beautiful face turned to her... and smiled._

" _Hello, Alicia."_

Kira bolted up, sweat dripping from her temples and a rasp on her lips. She heaved as she sat in- or rather, pushed upward against- the tangle of blankets, sheets, and pillows atop her bed. Sheets that were sweat soaked, and at that point, suffocating to the young woman. She lashed against them, eventually freeing her legs and swinging them over the side of the bed, elbows resting on her knees.

 ** _Red_**. _So much red._

She shook her head violently, throwing herself back against the damp sheets and panting for air. Even now, in the waking world, the flickers and flashes of the Hell she'd glimpsed- little more than colors to her mind at this point- set her blood ablaze in a way that was unsavory. She held up a hand and looked at her palm, wincing slightly as she clenched her jaw at the sight, her stomach rolling.

 _Blood dripped from those long, slender, clawed finger tips..._

She dropped the hand back to the bed, taking a slow, shaking breath before she pushed her bangs from her face and looked at her hand again. No colors this time, just skin- her own, translucent pale skin...

" _When I figure out what the hell that was, I'm going to kill it._ " Kira sat up, slowly as her head swam, and then looked across the room. The walls were gray. Darker still in the faint light of the moon in her window. The splashes of purple and red, her furnishings, broke it up with differing shades. No boiling lake, no screaming souls. She smiled slightly, standing and walking around her bed, shorts and tank top askew from her thrashing. Kira didn't seem to mind, nor care, as she walked to the window and threw it open. She stepped out onto the tiny balcony, resting against the bannister that circled the window in a half moon. Just enough to step onto, not enough to do anything with. She sighed softly, rubbing her temples as she tried to recall pieces of her nightmare... Something she could make sense of...

 _Eyes. Feral,hungry... Mix-matched. Damp-sand skin, pulled taught over a pair of massive, bat-like wings..._

Kira blinked slowly, walking back into the room to fetch a scratch piece of paper and a pen. She'd never seen a creature like that before... And she'd never forget it- though the details faded with every passing minute. She needed to get that on paper- something to prove she wasn't loosing her mind.

It'd be easily an hour before she had a few sheets of paper, scratchings of all types on them... One of them, scratchings of pieces of the demon in her dreams. Practice pieces, she'd thought. Or notes, so she didn't forget. The next, however, was the visage that haunted the dark of her closed eyes. Mix-matched, hungry eyes... That looked so much like hers, yet didn't in the same stand. They made little sense to her- she knew that wasn't her, yet it had the same face... Kira glanced to the side, to her run-away alarm clock. A gift from Lianna, her coworker, a few years past. She never actually used the alarm function, after the first time of it running under her bed.

1:02 AM.

Kira actually groaned, looking back at the papers. She scratched a set of dates and times in the corners of the ones of the demon, then moved onto another piece. This one had come out of no where, while she was trying to get her hands to wake up. Another set of eyes, this time both blue... It was almost too easy- she'd seen them before, or so she thought. It took her a moment to realize, however, that those were not Lash's eyes, or even Dante's...

They were familiar, however. She'd seen them earlier that evening. They were so similar to Dante's, she realized then, that it was a wonder she hadn't called him out as the said silver-mane... But no, there was something different. They carried a completely different look. A more serious gaze... A more sinister one. She traced the edge of the blue ink, before fetching a box of colored pencils and setting to adding a bit more color to the piece. She spent almost an hour, shading and coloring those eyes. The ones that haunted her subconscious so vividly that her hands drew them without thought. They had been there, in her dream, in flashes... Flashes she couldn't remember, but knew where there. Why? What was so important about a pair of blue eyes from a random soul in her bar...

Then she remembered what Dante had said, the evening before.

" _You'd be ready to jump too, if you found out your brother was alive_ _._ "

Kira paused, staring at the picture of a pair of blue eyes looking back at her from the desk, then rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Oh for the love of the Heaven's and the Hell's both..." Right there. _Right there._ She'd been close enough to touch him, to lay hands on the man who wanted her body for a ritual. Who wanted his own brother dead. She'd been close enough to slap the man, and was retroactively tempted to for the spite of it.

Vergil. Twin brother to Dante, the half-devil that doubled as her friend and her guardian's lover. The half-devil who may well have everything else he needed- everything but her, and possibly Mary if she wasn't already involved. She'd been close enough to see the faintly silver shade of blue that graced his eyes, and now he was also in her dreams.

Kira sighed, letting her head hit the desk as she pushed the paper off and into the trashcan beside her desk. As nicely as she'd drawn them, and as well as she colored, it really did them no justice. There was a difference between her paper, and the imagery burned into her memory. The lack of light behind those eyes. Light that could never be restrained to physical mediums. Kira sat back, slowly, then lifted another paper to look at. She had one piece left, and that was the image that made the least sense.

It was the woman from her dream. She'd tried to capture the brutality, the violence that the woman portrayed to her. Yet, with all of her notes, she couldn't bring her pen to scratch such a visage on to the paper. The image that stared back at her, in-dignified, was the demonic woman on her knees. She glared over her shoulder, through a mane of black, pin straight hair- a single red eye glowing, with the faintest hint of a blue one hidden behind her hair. Her back was exposed, and on the ground around her were shreds of bone, and skin... When you looked at the woman again, under the curtain of her hair, it was obvious what those shreds were. They were her wings- torn away and ruined. As the blood ran down her back, it was a mixture of scar and open wound that Kira had found her hand scratching into the paper. Scars she had seen before, on Lash. They were rough, ugly, and painful to see, much less bare. Undulating waves, that changed between bloody flesh to white-scar lumps, cascaded down the woman's back where the muscle had tried to mend around, and without the now ruined wings. Under her shoulder, however, sat another scar... Smaller, more delicate, and far more precise. It was between the fourth and fifth rib... And she knew, without having to see the other side, it was where the woman had been impaled through the heart. It explained the clutching hand over her left side, and the cowering stance... She'd been betrayed, and Kira knew this. Knew, without reasoning or logic, that the woman had been betrayed by someone she had trusted, and that alone was enough to anger her for eternity. Kira knew what she'd seen in her dream, and this... Had not been it. The same woman, undoubtedly, but where in her dream she had been a picture of macabre perfection... This was the ruins of a once very powerful creature.

Kira let out a slow breath, standing and pushing the chair back under her desk. She dropped the paper to her desk, then rubbed her temples slowly. She'd make sense of it later, over a cup of coffee. Maybe then she could think. Perhaps, she'd even show them to the man she knew to be a member of that caste... Before that, however, she had to calm down a bit more...

Mix-matched eyes glanced over to the sleeping alarm clock, then one brow twitched. 2:34 AM. She ran a hand through her sweat glued bangs before she moved to the en suite bath to detangle the mane. She flinched at the light, then rubbed her eyes and sat on the counter to work through the hip length mass of tangles and crinkles. A deft hand worked through the braid, in all it's askew glory, as she looked over her visage in the mirror.

Grey-tinted cerulean met it's copy in the mirror, and the reflection glared back at her. A sharp tug striped away the last of the notches in her braid, and she threw her bangs with closed eyes. The orbs reopened to see both, the red and the blue, staring back at her. That was better, frankly... She knew what she was. The child of a maniac. One who dabbled where he didn't belong, long before her time. He'd nearly succeeded, the first time. The only 'saving' factor was that he hadn't dug deep enough to permanently scar him. It was the second time, after he'd tricked- never would she admit her mother had loved him at one point- Kalina Ann over, and then used her to fuel the circle... That was the one that scarred him. Kira knew of her mother's death, and of the reason behind it. She'd known from the beginning, actually. That was when she disowned him, just shy of a year ago at this point. Her job had become her escape then, something to keep her mind from the truth that her blood was horrifically tainted by her Father's existence. Her job was her escape from the truth, something she could fall into and act... Act and play and pretend the truth wasn't real.

Kira sighed, running the brush through her bangs first and bringing them back down over her crimson eye, then working through the rest of it. She slowly worked into her normal pattern, the rhythm strangely soothing despite her thoughts.

' _And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee_.'

And yet, she had done it anyway. Time, and time again. And one day, she wondered, what would she see staring back at her... The image on her desk came to mind, and she stopped to look back at the gaze in the mirror. A calm, blue eye greeted her.

"Who knows..."

* * *

" _ **Can You hear me still, He who is mighty? Could I ask of You a favor- a last request. If You can hear the voice of a fallen soldier. One favor is all I ask, in this world or the next. She has charmed a part of my still beating heart, and I would not see this world without her. Yet, in what I have become, I am her greatest danger. I would ask of You, O' Holy One, to guard her. Protect her from those who would harm her, and protect her from me, should it be I who would do her harm. Every child needs a guardian angel, a protector. And I am hers, be she aware of it or not. Thus, I ask in her stead for Your divine protection. I ask You to bless this little sinner, for she fights as though she were a saint against evil. 'Blessed is the man who's sins are forgiven.' And with this cursed breath of mine- I ask that You forgive her. Those that have been, and those that are to come. And I ask that You bless her. A tortured, damned soul by her existence alone. Give her this one blessing, and I will gladly take her penance. It is this I pray, damned as I am, in Your name, Amen.**_ "

* * *

A figure thrashed against the black- seemingly buried to the chin, originally, in the mass of fabric. Now, however, it had long been skewed. The white of the mattress could be seen on one corner as the lanky figure tied in the confines of his own bed thrashed against them, breath coming hard and shallow. He lashed out, throwing an unfortunately placed pillow off and into the side table- knocking a phone and a picture from it's surface. The hand that became visible from the sheets, however, was not that of a human...

Sandy, velveteen skin pulled tight over claws that blackened, nearly the length of the finger itself. The sheets held cuts and gashes from these claws, many digging into the mattress itself. That hand reached, almost desperately, for something- _anything_...

Then the scream broke free. Ragged, broken, and guttural, it echoed off the windows and the ceiling. A small part of his mind, forgotten in that moment, worried it would wake the young woman across the hall... That part was more than drowned out however, by the _fear_. Unspeakable, illogical, _**fear**_. It held him, even as he bolted up from the sheets and panted into the sudden silence of the room, and rooted him in place- in form.

It took Lash far longer than he'd ever admit to slow his breathing, to reason with himself that what he'd heard was simply that- a voice. He took the first second his breathing was controllable to run a hand into his hair; only to stop when reached where his hair should have ended. That moment his eyes actually adjusted to the darkness of the room, and he pulled his hand free to look at it. The slightly mottled skin that greeted him from his palm made his breath catch, and that fear made it's irrational return. He turned his hand over, looking at the scarred knuckles before he reached for his phone- where it should have been on the bedside table, that is. He let free a curse that would have made Kira blush, before he tried to unravel himself from the knot of sheets that tied his legs in order to search for the device. He managed to get started before he found the first gashes in the fabric, and paused. Lash went very still, aside from the hand that carefully traced the fissure in the material...

"Even this far removed, the nightmares still bring me back... To be expected, I suppose, with a gateway so close..." A sigh slipped from his lips, flashing a length of fang no mortal could poses. Lash moved slowly, then, removing the sheets from his legs and checking over them for more gashes and shreds. "... I need a coffee after this." A faint chuckle left him at the thought, and he smiled slightly, reaching up to run his hand through his hair once more. This time, he took a moment to rub slowly at the base of his returned horns, slowly willing them to regress. It would take him several minutes, maybe even close to an hour, to work through all of the changes wrought by a dream of the Hells. He paused, however, when he heard the thrash from across the hall, followed by heavy pants and the thrashing of sheets. His eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall, barely visible in the dark of the night if weren't for eyes trained to see in such a preternatural darkness.

11:43PM.

" _It seems I am not the only one plagued with such visions..._ " He let the thought pass unheeded, before he frowned slightly and ran a hand over the horn that remained- the flesh rippling slightly over the bone before it began to recede, returning to it's hidden existence. " _They must have found the last seal, then... How else would the Hells be so close, that they could tease and torture those who are so bound to it..._ "

* * *

 _Authoress' Notes:_

 _You may or may not have noticed something, but by this point, I assume you have. She no longer has the Zambak- and I have completely removed it from the plot line. The more I looked at it, the more I disliked the reused item from DMC2, and could not seem to validate it in a canonically logical way. It remains my favorite weapon of all time in DMC2, but will no longer be a featured part of this fiction._

 _However. There will be a different, more plot relevant and connected, weapon for Kira. This will be revealed later. (Shhh... Not spoiling anything.)_

 _This chapter, however, was ridiculously hard to rewrite... x.X; However, dreams are a thing. A very big thing, at that._

 _Name revelations:_

 _Lianna, or Lira as she is known around the bar, is a roughly 40, brunette in my mind, though you may imagine her as you wish. She's a friend, and sort of a mother like figure, to Kira._


	6. Revelations

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 6: Revelations**

* * *

" _3:02... I wonder if she fell asleep again..._ " A black, ceramic mug was clutched in his hands, the steam curling lazily past his eyes. A pair of very tired, weary blues that stared into nothing, even as they looked over the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Across the small alcove that was the kitchen, set off of the living room, was a microwave- one that blared in neon green the ungodly time of morning. His eyes narrowed slightly at the said machine, before he lifted off the counter he'd leaned against...

Just as Kira walked down the stairs.

Lash paused, momentarily shocked by her sudden appearance before he reached up with a hand to rub at the corners of his eyes. He really was tired, if he hadn't heard her come down...

"You're something I didn't expect to see at this hour..." He gave a brief chuckle before removing his fingers and pressing a palm to one eye to rub it.

"Indeed, it is rather... early? Or is it late..?" A small smile lifted the corners of his lips as he looked over to her past the one hand, hair still mused from his short nap. He saw the young woman, hair brushed and pulled back into a simple tail for once, snort and walk over to him... then past him, headed immediately for the coffeepot. He laughed softly, stepping around her in favor of a seat at the bar. "When you're sentient, I have a question for you."

"Hrmph?" Her hands never stopped, pausing only a moment to find where he had placed the sugar bowl, in her doting on the coffee filled mug in her hands. It was a simple, black glazed mug... With blaring red script on the side that read 'Angel' with a pitchfork through the curl of the 'g', a broken halo on the 'A', and a spade tail curling off the end of the 'l'. He'd bought it for her several years ago, a birthday gift if he remembered correctly.

"I don't think this classifies as sentient, not enough for my questions." She paused in lifting the said mug to her lips, cutting her eyes over to him without moving her head, before a faint, growing curl appeared at the corner of her lips. She sipped the coffee slowly, a shudder chasing her spine before she turned toward him. Kira actually stuck her tongue out at the man, over her mug, before she turned and walked back toward the stairs.

"Give me a minute, I'll be awake by the time I get back." Those short words were punctuated by the almost unheard sound of her high stepping with feather light pressure up the stairs. It was no wonder he hadn't heard her- when did she become so soft of step..? He chuckled after her, turning back to his coffee. He should have figured, given she was recently reintroduced to her martial arts, that she would revert back to the controlled steps... After all, being light on ones feet was a requirement in most martial arts- especially combat oriented ones. He smiled lightly at the thought, lifting his mug again to take another sip when that feather light step sounded off again. "Here. Ask your questions while you look these over." A set of papers slid into his view, face down. He heard more than saw Kira meandering around the kitchen- likely in search of breakfast.

"What're these, if I may?" He lifted the corner of one, before he realized Kira had gone very, very still across the kitchen. Her hand was half way up to the cabinet, and she slowly lowered it to grip the shelf. He lifted the page entirely when he heard her swallow rather thickly... and he himself froze at what greeted him. " _Alicia_. What _are_ these...?" He heard her hands drop to the counter, and he lifted his eyes from the visage that gazed back at him, glaring for all it's worth from under a mane of black hair.

"They're the things from my dream." Her voice was barely a whisper as she spoke, her bangs hiding all traces of her face from his view. "The pieces page was the attempts at drawing what I seen, the woman is what came of my attempts- though she was nothing like that in my dream. The eyes are... They're weird. I _know_ those eyes... I damn well should- _they're mine_ \- but those are... Different. I can't place why." He saw her hands form a fist on the counter, and he dropped the page of the woman in favor of the piece she mentioned- the gaze that so resembled hers. She was right, despite the sleep-induced lack of quality, those were indeed _hers_. Everything down to the nearly arrogant tilt that came when she stared at someone as though she were looking through them... Yet, there was a flicker, a shadow in those eyes that did not belong to the young woman. A shade there, predominantly in the crimson left, that did not belong to her. Lash knew immediately what that shadow was. And he almost choked on his question.

"My first question... Is what did she say?" He looked up from the paper, a faint panic visible in his eyes... Eyes that Kira met, with a shock to match in her own.

"You know who that is?" She half turned, one hand still fisted on the counter.

"Answer my question, and I will answer yours." Lash's knuckles were nearly white around the mug in his hands. Something that Kira actually took note of, as she lowered her head a bit and gave a soft, nearly inaudible sigh.

" _Hello, Alicia._ " Kira did well, in that moment, to both keep her calm as the image hit her again... and, unknowingly, to perfectly match the voice that had greeted her in the dream. A voice that sent a shudder down Lash's spine and made him sit the coffee mug down before running his hands into his hair. She arched a brow slightly, moving closer to the bar before she spoke again- the worry obvious in her voice. "Lash..?"

"She spoke to you, that alone is enough... She's made contact." Lash actually gripped at the blonde roots, and for a moment Kira thought he was seriously about to pull them from his scalp.

"Who? Who is she, Lash, and what's the big deal about her saying hello to me?" She reached her hands up, every intent of removing his hands from his hair. She yelped, however, when his hands moved. Lightning quick, they had grabbed her own by the palms and held them there- keeping her bent toward the bar as he pinned her with a gaze that made her blood run cold. He wasn't human in that moment... And they both knew it. The blue that glared up at her was far to vivid, far too _pure_ , to be simply human.

" _Natania_ , one of the _Malebolge_ , those who chase the escaping sinners back into The City of _Dis_ \- and guard the gates of _Cocytus_. One of the demons responsible for the creation of the Sins that run around this world, lesser demons will little mind other than the expression of the sin that sent their human souls to Hell in the first place." He gripped her hands a shade tighter, and Kira actually winced- yet he did not let go. "She was killed- sacrificed and bound to, body and soul- in the _Temen-Ni-Gru_ , a chaser to guard the gateway to Hell. She is the Gatekeeper, Kira... She is the creature that is meant to _possess you_." His hands faltered with those words, and he slacked enough that Kira could pulled her hands away. She did so, swiftly, and backed into the counter behind her- and into the open cabinet door. A hiss and a swear that would make her late mother blush left her lips as she reached back to cradle the back of her head.

"Fuck... You're telling me she's already trying to get into my head? I haven't even seen this damn thing! Temen-Ni-Gru, what even is it?" She growled slightly, rubbing the spot on the back of her head in slow circles. Lash had moved his head to rest it on his palms, fingers laced into his hair again. That was his habit, that nervous touching of his hair... A small, human fault.

"She's trying to reach you, to touch and taint you, in order to make it easier for her to possess you once you reach the tower. I have no doubt, as soon as the tower is raised, she will increase her efforts..." He paused there, a smile lifting his lips. "We need to get you out of the city. Distance makes it harder, as she is bound to a very set place." He looked up at her, as Kira gave him a strange look.

"You want me... to run? You realize what my immediate answer to that is?" She glared slightly, pulling her fingers away to check for blood before she reached over the counter for her coffee. The motion stretched her slightly, and Lash took that small moment to look over her. She was lean, or as much as someone of unfavorable genetics could be. She'd never be lithe and lean, the long muscle he carried. No, she'd always be the one to put on bulk with her strength. An aesthetic benefit, given the curves that she'd been graced with- curves she'd fought for, with all of her weight training in school. It had given her very obvious details across her shoulders, and down her arms. The girl could throw a punch that would level most humans... Yet she would never admit it, given who she lived with. She knew better- that she could never compare to his level of strength... or to Dante's. She was human, though fit and firm for a young woman, she was so very _human_.

"I will personally take you to Fortuna, if we leave immediately, we may be able to shake them for a time. Give me time to figure something out." Kira glared at him over her coffee mug, taking a sip of it before licking another drop off her lip.

" _ **No.**_ " He stilled, primarily at the sheer finality in that single word statement. He arched a brow at her, running his hand back and combing through his hair in the process.

"Why not?" She scoffed slightly, turning to close the cabinet door.

"Because I have work tonight? I'm covering for Amy. I'll need to tell Lianna and Giovanni anyway, or they'll blow my phone to kingdom come and I'll return with no job." He watched her take another sip, then sigh, before she turned up the mug and chugged the rest of it. "I don't want to _run._ I don't like running..." She actually stilled, mug hanging off her finger tips. "But I am no fool, Lash... I won't risk my life- or yours- for an 'I don't want to'. I..." He heard her voice catch, and for a small moment, he feared what she would say. "I'm scared, Lash. My world has gone up in flames in less than two days. Everything I thought I knew of the people around me has been thrown into question... Or completely blown away." She turned to him, and the look in her eyes made him move... "For once, I don't know what to do." He was in front of her before she finished the sentence, pulling her against him and hugging the girl to his chest before the tear that he'd seen could fall. He held her there, flush against him, and gripped the fabric of the tank top she'd fumbled down stairs in.

"It's going to be okay, Ki'... _I promise_." He heard her breath catch, even as she clung to him, and he smiled slightly against her burgundy hair. " _ **Promitto**_ , _Alicia._ " He whispered the words against her hair, and felt that tiny catch that always pulled at his spine when he spoke in such a language... They spoke the same language, after all- the Heaven's and the Hell's both. It pulled at the wings he'd lost, every time. The language that commanded _power_.

The words she spoke next made him smile; "What was that?"

He answered her, never once loosing his hold on that wisp of energy that a mere word had called. "You know the language as Latin, I believe... My mothertongue, from days long since past." He felt her move against him, before she looked up. He gave her a smile in that moment, one that stilled her- and he heard her pulse skip a beat. He made no attempt, in that moment, to hide what he was. To hide the inhuman perfection that accompanied even the angels that had fallen. "It's alright, _Alicia_." There it was again... A bound name, he realized, as that power flared with the whisper of her given name. "You were not given a choice, it seems... In being wrapped in this charade. This game between the Hells, and the Heavens." He reached a hand up, brushing her bangs back from her eyes and uncovering the crimson one she hid so often. "There is much I should explain... We will start here, however. I have a small confession for you." There was a flicker in her eyes in that moment, a simple flash of emotion that made him smile. " _She trusts me..._ " He pressed his lips to her forehead, a small gesture of affection. " _Lahash_. 'He who would defy the Heavens'. That is my given name- the one I took after I followed the Dragon's tail."

"Followed... The dragon's tail..?" He felt her hands tremble then, as she made the connection rather quickly. She'd read a number of religious texts, as a child before he managed to take her. "You followed Lucifer, the Devil himself, when he fell..? 'And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth'... You were one of those angels?" She looked up at him, before she moved to step back. He held her there for a moment before he released her.

"Correct. Falling from the Heavens cost me the wings, but it did nothing to dim the abilities that came with being one." She stared up at him, at those impossibly blue eyes, and took a slow breath before she settled.

"And you're telling me now." He arched a brow slightly, before he smiled at her and motioned for her to sit at the bar.

"Yes. You have more than earned the truth, _Alicia_." He tucked his hands into the pockets of the fleece pants he'd thrown on, relaxing against the counter as she moved to hop onto one of the stools. "I told you what I am here for. Why I was sent to this world. I am sorry that I gave you such a... volatile response in the past, and perhaps I could have handled the situation yesterday with a bit more... tact." He heard a scoff from her, where she'd laid her head down on the cold tile. "You understand the stress of this situation now, however. What is at stake, and how very close I am to losing everything." He watched her nod, before he smiled and turned toward the fridge. "There is... a small tale, a story of sorts, that was whispered with in _Cocytus_." He tugged open the door as he spoke, before flicking through the items inside. It was when his eyes landed on the bowl of fruits, however, that he smiled and reached for the apple that was perched atop it. "Heads up, Kira." He tossed the fruit over the door, toward the bar, and heard a very satisfying smack as Kira managed to catch it. It was when he looked over it, however, that he seen she had not moved other than the hand that now held the said apple. She rolled it around in her hand, before looking over her arm at it, then glaring at him.

"That is a horrific joke, Lash." He grinned, closing the door as he tugged an orange out for himself- completely satisfied with his little multimeaning offering of breakfast.

"Yet, you are smiling. Will you bite, I wonder, and take of the story I offer?" He began peeling it, an almost arrogant smirk plastered onto his face. He watched her chuckle, lift her head, and take a massive bite out of the apple. It flashed the barest hint of fangs... "You have heard the 'Legend of Sparda', correct? An old, ancient fairy tale- even in it's most recent rendition, which is eons old." She nodded. "Even then, it spoke of Sparda ruling the human people, a fair and just leader... It also spoke of the two children he would sire, and depending on the variant, how he would die. We have a small, addition to the more poetic, elder version of this tale." He watched her arch a brow, then nibble on a piece of the apple chunk between her teeth. "' _And the traitor's spawn will be the key, that shatters the gates of Heaven. For they are welcomed there, and we will follow on a trail of blood._ ' This, small addition, seems like nothing... Until you realize that the 'legend' is not so much a legend, but a factual story." He heard her scoff, and swallow the bite of her apple before she spoke.

"Bullshit. There's no record of Sparda's ever having actually existed. And what would it matter now, if he had kids? If they were real- the human blood would have seen them dead ages ago, right?" The smile that parted Lash's face in that moment... She honestly wished she could forget it.

"And if I told you, they are real, and you have spoken to one?" Kira stared, in that moment, blinking slowly. It would be almost two minutes- he'd actually glanced at the clock- before she spoke again.

"...Pardon?"

"Sparda was real, and his sons are alive." Blunt and to the point, something Kira would appreciate as her mind reeled.

"And if I don't believe you?" She'd spoken so quickly, he knew she hadn't actually thought of what she said.

"Explain to me Dante's hair, then. You mentioned his colors gave him away- explain them, then." She blinked slowly, and opened her mouth once before closing it. She took another bite, musing over the answer for a solid minute.

"...He's a half-devil. Half human, half demon... Half higher demon, if the 'devil' moniker is there for a reason... Sparda was dead long ago, with no proof of his existence, and Dante is only, what, twenty? He's not that old- Hell, I seen him in school! I know he's not that old. But..." She fumbled for words slightly, her brows knitting together tightly.

"Have you seen a picture of Sparda? One of the old paintings?" She looked up at him, face relaxing enough to blink a few times before she froze... and glared at him. He smiled, slowly, at the fire behind that look.

"Fuck it. No. I will not believe this bullshit..." He actually laughed, head leaning back against the cabinets above with the sound.

"Yet, you believe me being a former angel?" She growled at him, and he laughed harder.

"That I have proof of! Seeing is believing, and all that noise!" He gripped his side, laughter dying down after a moment before he smiled at her again. She pouted, actually pouted with her arms crossed under her breasts and all, at the bar in front of him- apple forgotten in one hand.

"Yet, having seen Dante in action, you still deny that he is one of the sons mentioned?" He smirked slowly at her, even as she glared at him. She took a slow breath, chest expanding with it before she exhaled, then closed her eyes. He could almost see her counting to ten in her head before she opened them.

"...Fine. Say I believe you. What's the point of this?" She gave him a very curt, quick answer that time.

"Sparda is the demon who sealed the _Temen-Ni-Gru_ , the biblical 'Tower of Babel'. It was the only completely human made gateway. A gate to Heaven, they thought... Yet the desire to do so- to invade the Heavens... That was a crime that would not go unseen, and it would be the devil's of Hell that would see to it the gateway lead elsewhere. They knew that nothing made solely by man could reach the Heavens." Lash relaxed there, leaning against the counter as he spoke. "Sparda would be the one to close that gateway, sealing it with blood and power and making sure nothing could open it. He was very careful to cover his tracks- destroying the bodies of those used to do so, making sure no trace of the information was left available..."

"And yet, here we are- on the edge of this thing being opened again." Kira had leaned back on her little stool, arms still crossed.

"Because he only erased the knowledge in the Human World, the side from which it can be opened. The entire reason we are in this predicament, given that, is because someone successfully coaxed the information out of one of the Hells' higher beings." Lash crossed his arms, falling silent for a moment as Kira mused over his words. Her expression waxed over a variety of faces; disbelief, curiosity, anger, even confusion... before it settled on a shocked, wide eyed expression. A small smirk settled onto his lips.

"How? How in the Blazing Hells do you 'coax' that information out of something like that? What do you offer them for that kind of knowledge?" Kira had gripped the tops of her arms, expression stuck on a deep pondering that made her look far older than she was. It was lightened with a surprising level of understanding... Lash knew, at that moment, she most certainly had _his_ blessing.

"A sacrifice, a pact, a first born,; any of those will do. Or several- that will get you a more accurate answer." Kira's brows knit together just a little bit farther at his words. "Or, if you want a guarantee, offer them something specific that they want. If you want the lock, the key, and the map to get to the door, you offer them all of the above." Ah, that had her attention- a pair of mix matched eyes snapped up to his immediately. He gave her a small, sad smile. "In this case, I'm almost willing to bet it's the last one. You were not given a choice, my dear- and for that, I am sorry." Kira's eyes darkened a shade, and for a fraction of an instant- Lash's blood ran cold. The look she leveled at him, the demand behind those eyes, reminded him far too much of the being who's touch she carried.

"You know who he asked. And what he gave in return." The tone in her voice did nothing to erase the image.

"I do. And I know where to find him." He swore, for a fraction of a second, that gaze got just a little bit darker.

"Tell me." She slowly started to tap her fingers on her arm, a pattern from the first to the last at a steady rhythm. For a moment, he debated whether he should or not... Then he realized that the shadow he'd thought he seen in the picture was not _Natania's_ presence...

"Lucifer. I've it on good faith, that Arkham made a pact with Lucifer." ...but _his_. The crimson shade behind her eye, and the spark that rested behind the blue, belonged to the man who carried the original set.

A thin, burgundy brow raised a shade over a blue eye. An angel's eye. "And what did he offer him?"

It was the crimson one that he focused on, however. The devil's eye. "A body for his stolen chaser, and a sacrifice to anchor her to it. What better than a hell-touched woman- first born of her family?" The brow above that eye rose to level with the first, and he saw the pieces click together in her head.

"He promised me. He promised me to the Devil himself, in exchange for the keys to the gate to Hell." Lash gave her a smile, then stood from the counter to step over toward the bar.

"Good girl, you catch on quick." The growl that rumbled from her made him laugh, and he reached out to pat her head from over the barrier that stood between them. His hand was met half way with a swat.

"I swear on the Heavens and the Hells both, I will end you." His laugh doubled, and he pulled his hand back before reaching for the dregs of his coffee.

"You will try."

* * *

 **Authoress' Note:**

 _...Not quite as hard as the last one to rewrite, but viola! Also, "Promitto" translates into "I promise",_ _according to the Google._

 _The verse quoted is actually the King James version, Rev. 12:4. It's much longer, but I only took the relevant part._

 _Character Revelations:_

 _Lahash, or "Lash" among friends, is based off a Fallen Angel found in some of the old texts. I can find little detail, beyond the meaning of his name, but if someone reading this has more, please share it with me. I'm horribly picky about lore sticking._

 _Alicia, or "Kira" among friends, is Mary's sister. And, like Mary, she goes by a different name now days. 'Alicia' is actually my bastardization of a demon mentioned in "Dante's Inferno", Alichino. There's your spoiler for the future. :P_

 _Kira does, however, benefit from Arkham's dabbling in the dark arts. I blame this for her slightly different appearance from Lady. Her hair carries a shade more red, lingering in the burgundy spectrum. Lady's, apparently, is black. My brain remembered this weird, thus giving rise to the burgundy. She is also a bit more advanced, age wise, and not quite so punky-brat looking as Lady was in 3. More Lady from 4 in appearance, but a bit sharper of feature._


	7. Just One Yesterday

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 7: Just One Yesterday**

* * *

For what felt like the hundredth time in that hour, Kira let her forehead slam into the tile wall of the shower. " _Why._ " The faintest growl slipped from the woman when her hair slid to curtain her face from the rest of the white walls that surrounded her. " _Why does it all go to hell in a hand basket. It's not even been a year, and everything turns into fucking shatters again..._ " She sighs, pushing off the wall and letting the water push her hair from her face, with her nails digging against the tile. "Mother is dead. Mary is presumed missing. Dante is a fucking demon. And Lash, of all the god damned people, has the proverbial gun to my head. This is _the_ fucking week..." Kira pulled her hand off the wall, a grimace slowly slipping onto her face. "And it's not even fucking Wednesday!" Then she punched into the wall, and actually fractured a tile right down the middle. It would join four others, a total of five, that scattered the walls of her little sanctuary. "And _YOU_. Fucking _Arkham,_ are yet again behind the chaos that has absorbed my life. _WHY_ must you be so fucking screwed in the head?" Kira slowly opened her hand against the tile, her nails digging into the grout around the freshly broken piece... There was a shadow over her eyes, a blank fog that covered them, as though she wasn't seeing the tile in her hand.

In truth, she wasn't. Her image was much, much darker than the pale tile. She envisioned an image of Arkham, just inside of her claws, and as she dug them into the wall- breaking the tile out with an ease that should not be possible for a human hand- she gripped down on the image in her head. Some small part of her would give so much to hear his screams just then... Hear the voice of the man that had thrown her life into madness as it gave out and died. She never saw the grin that slowly spread across her face, that gave off the image of madness that would rival her insane father... nor would she actually see the light that settled behind the crimson left eye that would always remind her of him. "I will end you. I promise this, before the Hells and the Heavens both, I will end you, Arkham... For Kalina, and for Mary, and for my own god's damned peace of mind." She slowly pulled her hand away from the wall, taking the tile with it, and cast it out of the shower. Kira stood there for a moment, letting the warm water wash down the side of her head and body, and wash away what might have been a tear at the thought of her lost mother and sister. In that moment, however, the door flew open.

Kira stilled on the spot, body and mind, before she listened past the water for anything that might be off. Her eyes trailed to the curtain itself, and through the near opaque fabric, she saw a movement. Her hand lashed out almost before she could comprehend it, and she threw open the curtain- hopefully striking whatever was on the other side in the small space... She struck nothing, and found nothing waiting on the other side of the curtain. It takes a moment, before the adrenaline rush dies enough she can hear something over the blood rushing past her ears, and she sighs. Her hand unravels itself from the curtain- that now has a hole in it from her nails gripping to tear it open- and she slowly presses her palms into her temples. Slow, growing circles and a deep, slow breath settle her enough that she can think straight. "Great. Now I'm loosing what's left of _my_ mind." The sigh that slips from her was almost exasperated, as she reached with closed eyes for the shower's controls. She flips the handle over to turn it off, and stands there for a brief moment. " _Breathe, you're just stressing out over the situation. That's all._ " She leans her head back and tugs her hair to rest behind her shoulders, letting the weight of the lengthy mane settle it into place between her shoulder blades. When she opens her eyes, however, all of that calming mantra was gone. For absolutely nothing.

Standing in front of her, on the other side of the tub walls, was the very woman from her nightmare. All tall, lithe, gloriously _beautiful_ and horrifyingly _insane_ , head high and arms crossed over her chest. Kira immediately tried to move back, to jump away from the woman who stood with in a half arm's reach. A poor move, in hindsight. Her feet flew from under her on the wet surface and she found herself falling, head cracking against the abused tile behind her. The force of it sent her vision into white sparks for a fraction of a moment, and blinked her eyes into use again to find herself in a puddle of limbs and soaked curtain, rod and all, in the bottom of the tub. The _sound_ however, that greets her is not of her falling. Nor even of her collision with the wall, though she'd remember that crack for a good few days to come... It was a laugh. A light, breezy, almost soprano level laugh, that rang off the walls and into her ears like an omen. It echoed, and Kira found herself staring into oblivion for a moment as a very tangible fear wrapped around her chest. When that laugh died, with no visual to sustain it's continued audio, she took a sharp breath, slumping against the tub with her eyes wide. " _Sweet baby Jesus. I_ am _loosing my mind. Completely, utterly, going ab-so-fucking-lutely bat-shit._ " Her hand lifts to the back of her head, wincing as it contacts the very sore flesh, and she slowly works over it to make sure she hadn't actually busted her head open in the fall. Satisfied with the findings, she pushed the rod and fabric off her lap and slowly worked out of the tub. She did, however, have the sense of mind to look _everywhere_. Her eyes never stopped moving as she looked to every corner of the room, and up, in the off case that her mind had not been tricking her...

She was hopeful, when she found nothing, that it was just a trick of a very tired and stressed mind... Until a breeze blows over her legs. She was aware again, immediately, that she may yet not be alone in her own space. " _Paranoid? Nah..._ " Her eyes darted to the open door, and she mentally recounted her actions when she walked into the room. She _had_ closed it... Right? She slowly walks over, almost a tactical side stepping that kept her profile low, before she pushes it open the rest of the way with one hand. She steps to the threshold, sweeping the room beyond with her eyes... Nothing, nothing but her own macabre red and violet hued furnishings, and gray walls. The colors reminded her of a severe bruise, in that moment... One she had no doubt she'd match in certain spots on her body after the earlier incident. She lets go of a held breath when she finds the window had been left open. The wind had pushed it open- surely, that was all it could be, she did have a habit of not checking to make sure it had latched. She smiles slightly, looking beyond the gray sheers that rested between her drapes and into the murky sky beyond it. There was a storm brewing, and it promised to be a good one if the clouds said anything of it's potency. Rain was good. Rain washed away the bad things... and made it so much easier to _breathe_. She left that smile, and stepped back into the room to close the door. As soon as it latched, and she made sure of it this time, she looked back to see herself in the mirror.

Only to find a very different visage staring back at her. The same position, the same smile, the same quirk of a brow at expecting to see her own disheveled self in the reflection. It was _her_ , but it was _Natania_ staring back at her from the mirror. The entire second it took her to gather that information, to actually realize what was looking back at her, felt like it took forever to pass... Then she moved. She stepped and turned back, yet again trying to run from it before she found the wall behind her. The motion was quick, immediate to anything but her, and yet the figure in the mirror did not move. It slowly pulled it's hand away, trailing up to flick a lengthy black mane back over it's shoulder in the most calm and serene of motions. Kira actually allowed herself to blink, and the image was gone. There had been a smile there, an almost arrogant grin that had rested on the face of the woman who had looked back at her. She slowly takes a breath, reaching up to rub at her aching eyes with her palms, then stands off the wall. She could hear virtually nothing over the sound of her pulse in her ears, her own breath, as she stepped toward the counter. She reached up, after moving close enough to the counter to touch it- to ground herself to something _real_ \- and placed her fingers against the mirror. The image didn't change, just a battered and tired young woman, standing naked and cold touching the mirror. She looked very intently at her own eyes, and she gave a shuddering breath as she found they followed the same tracking as her own. Kira took another, slower breath, as she rested her other hand on the counter. Yet again, she began trying to settle her racing heart and ragged breath. " _I'm loosing it..._ "

She lost that train of thought as soon as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Boo." Less than a fraction of a second. It took her so very little to turn, bringing her right elbow up and back with a force that would easily break a neck and crush a skull. A force that found nothing but air, even as her eyes picked up on the larger woman behind her. The blow struck air, and then the wall, and sent the moulding on the corner, as well as a fair chunk of wall, flying into the hollow between the two. Her elbow planted there, into the wall, up to half of her forearm- she realized the only thing that stopped it from going all the way through was her grounding to the spot; she'd heard the tiles on the other side crack. Yet, despite actually striking _through_ the illusion in front of her- it had to be, how else could it be there and her not actually touch it- Natania stood there, tall and proud, with an amused smirk on her face. Kira realized, then, how much taller the woman was. She stood head and shoulders over Kira, and every inch of it carried pride and power in equal measure. The specter then leaned forward, and Kira's fist surged forward to meet her, tearing free easily of the wall...

" _And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee._ " This time, Kira's hand stopped. Natania had merely reached up, catching the full-force blow in her hand as easily as Kira had caught her breakfast that morning from Lash... " _Lahash. Use his name, child._ "

Kira's heart skipped a beat. And another. For a solid minute, it felt like, she had not breathed or felt a pulse as that so very _warm_ hand gripped her fist. Her own pale skin was like ivory against the almost bay colored tone of the soft leather that wrapped around it. The claws that ended each finger caged her hand completely, and Kira could feel them resting against her skin, but not cutting... And she knew, in that moment, she would be dead if this woman wanted her to be.

And that is when she knew, for the first time in her life, true _terror_. Fear, in small amounts, had always been in her life. She lived with an angel. Something inhuman, and immortal. Fear was always there. Natania had shown her a level beyond that, however... A fear for her life. Almost as though she could hear the thoughts, Natania actually smiled...

The pulse in her chest was almost painful then, and Kira actually let out a cry before she swung with her left. The blow was far less refined, more wild... And yet, when she blew through the illusion and planted her fist deep into the wall behind it, easily clearing her elbow into the space that she knew was a closet on the other side, she knew it wouldn't stop. She landed there, against the wall, with the tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and she gripped at the flesh beneath her breast as though her heart would beat right through it. The panting that left her covered the sound of foot steps, running up the stairs. She flinched, readying her right hand for another attack as she heard the door to her room proper being forced open. "Kira! Kira?!" She actually cried then, the sound finally matching up with the images as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She set to trying to remove her arm from the wall then, suddenly finding herself lacking the strength that had put it there in the first place, before the door beside her blew in. She gave a faint yelp, bracing her right arm out to prevent it from striking her. A very frantic, and very much inhuman Lash stood in the door way. There was a power there that washed off him in waves... and it soothed her as much as it scared her. His eyes immediately found hers in the reflection, and he slipped through the door way before he closed it and turned to face her properly. "Kira? What happened here?"

As much as she wanted to, she really couldn't answer him. Instead, she reached out... for the first time in his life, Kira stood before him as a scared child. True to the image, she grasped his shirt and tugged at him, hiding against his chest as the tears kept coming. Lash had a moment of stillness, where in he had no idea how to react, before he hugged the girl close to him and rested his head on hers. "Shh... It's alright. I'm here, I'm here..." He slowly petted her back, even as she clung just that much more to him. His eyes lifted to where she had planted herself in the wall as she hid against him, and for a fraction of a second, he too was scared. " _To have that much power, so suddenly... What could she have said to scare her this much?_ " His hand ghosted over her shoulder, to the hole in the wall, before he reached slightly into the hole with his fingers and ripped a piece of the wall out, opening the gap a bit more. He felt Kira flinch against him when he did, and just hugged her a bit tighter to his chest while he whispered soothing words against her mane. He repeated the process until he found where she'd punched into the wall beyond her own, and pushed the pieces away so she could pull free. Kira pulled out of the gap immediately, and hugged him in properly. He stood there, for what felt like forever, holding the girl against him as she cried and whimpered and let go of whatever it was that had terrified her so badly. The entirety of that time, however... His mind rested on the image he had seen in the mirror...

Behind Kira stood Natania, her hands resting on the smaller woman's shoulders, as she leaned down and whispered into the girl's ear. She had smiled at him, when two pairs of blue and crimson eyes snapped to his reflection. That smile was nothing kind, but yet she had spoken, silently. " _Hello, Lahash._ " The flicker in her crimson eyes matched the light behind Kira's. He realized, looking back, that the 'light' behind her eyes was different... It wasn't the same abyssal shade that accompanied the touch of the highest of demon kings... It was Natania's.

* * *

~ _Anything you say can and will be held against you... So only say my name.~_

Dab, dab, stroke, rub rub, check. Repeat.

"She's seriously fucking with me... With my head. With what I see." Kira sat there, on the edge of her bed, with Lash in front of her in the desk chair. He'd been cleaning her cuts and tugging any remaining pieces of wood or drywall from them for the past thirty minutes. She'd pretty much mapped out his pattern for cleaning them, at this point. "That's... that's what you walked in on. Her screwing with my head."

 _The image warped, and the hand that was holding her arms had talons- black and long enough to pierce her arm through._

"I figured that part out. What was she showing you, is what I want to know." The image realigned, and it was simply Lash cleaning one of the large cuts on her forearm.

 _~If Heaven's grief brings Hell's reign, then I'd trade all my tomorrows...~_

"She just... appeared. She was there, just there. Talking, _existing_. I knew she wasn't but..."

 _Again, the image glitched out. This time, those talons were digging for the bone in her arm._

"But?" His hands actually paused, and the image was broken.

 _~I want to teach you a lesson, in the worst kind of way.~_

"She touched me. I felt her hands, Lash-"

 _"Lahash. Use his name, Child."_

Kira flinched, reaching up with a bandaged hand to rub at her temples before she looked over to the said man. He looked up at her, and arched a thin blonde brow. "...She apparently has an issue with your... human name." The chuckle that left him broke the image again.

 _The demon sitting in front of her was tall, lithe and agile. The skin that pulled taut and strong over lines of muscle that could never be so sharp in anything less was almost tanned, tinted by the soot that stained it from years, eons in the Hells. Curling over the shoulders of such a creature was the only 'imperfection' she could see over the expanse of skin. Scars, vicious and pale by compare, they layered over each other in a fashion not unlike a pile of yarn. There was no order, no reason to how they laid, even as they vanished into the skin again. The longest ones reached to the collar bone, the shortest ones she could barely see. Some of them even reached up the neck of the creature, into the nape of a head of dark brown- or was that just seriously dirty blonde?- hair that laid in a very familiar style._

"Really? And why is that, I wonder." Her attention from the image snapped, and she slowly blinked before rubbing her eyes with the hand that wasn't being held. The larger hands that held that arm were the same, tanned skin that always held her hand when he was talking to her and trying to be gentle.

"She prefers your actual name. I assume due to her lineage." Kira let her eyes drift back down to the cut Lash was patching up, and she pursed her lips slightly. She gave a tiny scoff at the audio that drifted up from the speakers across the room.

 _~Find yourself a new gig, this town ain't big enough for two of us.~_

Lash arched a brow, and Kira just motioned toward the stereo. He tilted his head, then laughed softly himself.

 _~I don't have the right name, o-o-or the right looks, but I've got twice the heart.~_

"Fitting, don't you think?" She smiled after the words left her mouth, then looked over to him. She was moderately surprised when he chimed in with the lyrics, but her smile grew just a bit wider.

" _Anything you say, can and will be held against you. So only say my name._ ' A very fitting line indeed." He smiles slightly at her, then reaches up to lightly ruffle her hair...

 _Only, he didn't ruffle her hair. He grabbed it, wrenching her forward. "_ If Heaven's grief brings Hell's reign. _" The grin that turned the demon's lips upward flashed a set of fangs, and bloody teeth that made her attempt to wrench back. She growled, and he laughed before pulling her forward again, this time speaking in her ear. "_ I want to teach you a _lesson_ in the worst kind of way. _" She places both hands against his chest, trying to force herself away from him... And it works. He releases her, and she falls back._

 _~If I spilled my guts, the world would never look at you the same way.~  
~And now I'm here to give you all my love... So I can watch your face as I take it all away.~_

"Kira! Kira! What's wrong?" Lash was there, suddenly, and Kira flinched into the blankets. She blinks, trying to calm her breath when she realizes the illusion is gone. The man leaning above her isn't a demon, but the angel she was sitting with a few moments prior. The worry- no, that was actual _fear-_ on Lash's face was enough to snap her mind away from the last vestiges of the illusion. She took another, slower breath before she placed a hand on his chest, offering up a smile as she pushed him back and reached across her body for the remote on the far edge of the bed. She very promptly hit the power button on the device, silencing the infernal machine across the room- and with it, the music that was so very haunting to her at that moment.

 _The hand that rested on her shoulder quite suddenly snapped the world into another spin, and with it- so did she. Kira immediately threw her elbow into the face of the being holding her shoulder._

"Ki-" The sound of a dislocating joint, and the grind of bone right beside her head brought her somewhere to the middle of the two mindsets. Through one side of her vision, she could see just fine that Lash was standing on his knees on the bed, blood pouring from his mouth and a hand on his chin. She could already see the shading of a very colorful bruise.

 _Through the other side, however... She saw a very different creature. A being of pale, soaked sand skin, with horns curving from a blackened blonde mane. The white mounds of scars she could see over his shoulder told her enough of who that being was... She could see, through the edges of the illusion, every motion the creature made was mirrored perfectly by Lash._

She actually shuddered at the sound of Lash replacing his forcibly dislocated jaw, and again as he opened his mouth completely to pop the joint. The wet sound was not something she had expected, even as Lash licked along the inside of his cheek. He pulled the small can of trash from it's fallen position at the side of the bed... and promptly spit a rather large chunk of flesh and blood into the container.

 _When he looked back at her, however, the crimson eyes that glared at her made her skin crawl... And she suddenly couldn't see the blues that she knew favored her well being. Kira immediately pushed off the bed, rolling as he reached for her at a speed she never thought the man could move. She landed in a heap at the side of the bed, and looked up just in time to see him step off the furnishing. The motion was faster than she was used to, as she pushed up off the ground and moved to her feet. 'Have I always moved that fast..?' Her thought was interrupted as the demon she could see lunged for her- wrapping a hand around her wrist before she could move from his range. Kira had an instant to think- to question if she was seeing Lash... or some demon conjured up by the demoness in her head. She had only that instant to wonder, and debate, if she should possibly fight this creature off... or take the chance that it's just an illusion over what motion Lash was making._

"Lash... She's not playing around." _The demon's hand reached for her shoulder, and Kira actually flinched away from it. The visage she could see smiled at her, a flash of fang and amusement, before moving slowly to rest on her shoulder._

"Do not fight me, Kira." _She heard that voice, she knew it like she knew her own... but watching the demon in front of her speak those words stole the comfort the original had intended. She stepped back, and the grip tightened on both her hand and shoulder._ "I don't know what Natania is showing you... but know that I _will not_ harm you."

" _But_ I _will._ "

 _Kira didn't have the choice then, as she launched at the angel in front of her._

* * *

 **Authoress' Notes** :

 _… Holy crap. I am sorry. Six? Seven months? Something to that extent... And that's a long extent. I'm seriously sorry- cause life decided that I needed an ass kicking. Two car accidents, and some seriously bi polar managers and my drive to do anything other than sleep kinda went to Hell. And not on the arm of a pretty demon, at that._

 _That being said however, I am alive. I am back. I will probably go back, look over the chapters prior and check them again for errors. If you're reading this, please go back and look 'em over again- a lot has changed. Hopefully, I can hang with it this time- it took a miracle and my muse finally stepping on my head, but I got my writing spirit back. I may even post what brought it out of the abyss, if I get the ending to work with me. D &D is a life saver- because it proved that it is possible to come back from -9HP._

 _The lyrics are from "Just One Yesterday", the song for which the chapter is named, by the lovely Fall Out Boy. Because Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and Hollywood Undead have been my muses for the past few months. You can expect more references to come._

 _Character Revelations:_

 _Natania, filling the space left by "Rykira" from "Angels", is one of the Malebolge. A demon based heavily off the "_ _Malebranche", from "Dante's Inferno". Their roll was to keep certain souls inside of Hell, under the surface of the lake of boiling pitch. In this version, her roll is similar- to chase the escaping souls back into the lake, and see them punished for their attempted escape. The 'dream' in Ch.6 was one of such events._


	8. Bruised Reality

**Title: "Dawnbringer"**

 **Rating: 'T for Teen', potentially 'M for Mature'.**

 **Chapter 8: Bruised Reality**

* * *

" _But_ I _will._ "

 **Everything shifted.** Quite suddenly, at that. One moment, Kira was standing in her room... arguing with a hallucination that pulled her under and pushed her back, never letting her vision settle...

 _The next, she was falling._ It felt much like someone had slammed her head into something, the force of the vision hit her so brutally. _Around her, the waves in the air were visible as they rose toward a dark murky sky... Then she could feel the heat. It beat against her skin, scorching her back through the shirt she wore, and burning her arms where the fabric didn't cover. It wasn't long and the shirt was boiling against her skin- caught in the wind for the motion, and the heat for the burn she could feel beginning on her skin._

The cackle she heard then assured her that this was not the same illusion- the hallucination that had shaken her so severely...

 _No, this was something far, far worse._

The force of something catching under her arms nearly tore the shoulders from their sockets, and forced a cry from her lips. She was suddenly flying upward, quickly...

"Hello, Alicia... It's so nice of you to actually visit me." The voice that purred in her ear made her go very still, then shudder before the thought invaded her mind that she'd be in better hands if she jumped- the lake she knew to be well below her was favorable to the hands of the demon that tended it.

"Go fuck yourself, handbag." Kira threw her head back, striking the neck of the woman who dropped her- and she dove. That thought hadn't been so bad honestly- she had to be dreaming, after all... She couldn't be doing anything else. The scream behind her rattled her ears as she dove head first toward the lake- flipping as she closed in and pointing her feet toward it.

The blindside-strike that threw her on to the stone changed that plan. It also made something very brutally clear:

 _This couldn't be a dream._

… because the fall _hurt_. She struck the ground with force enough to make her bounce- body doing a damn good impression of a rag-doll as she floated through the air and struck the stone a second time- before rolling to a stop. It wasn't until she felt her body stop that she actually registered the pain- and remembered to breathe. The first breath made her voice break, the second actually drew tears from her eyes.

The sound of dainty steps behind her on the stone brought her attention from the pain for only a second. She drew a sharp breath when she realized Natania stood behind her- which brought her right back to the sensations that wracked her body. Every breath was white-hot as it made her chest scream- she'd broken several ribs in that fall, and possibly much more if the lack of response from her left arm said anything. As she pushed against the stone, attempting rather sloppily to get up, Natania made her move.

Kira watched the motion, unable to run from it- the back drawn step that preceded a kick she had personally used many a time in after school soccer games. The strike that hit her ribs echoed across the cavern, the sound of shattering bone and flesh resounding in her ears as she was sent airborne. The way her body bent in that moment told her everything she needed to know- there was certainly no unbroken rib on the left side of her body, and it was possible her spine was in the same condition.

Her thought trail was broken almost as brutally as a hand slammed against her throat, forcing her roughly against a massive boulder. She gagged on the breath she tried to draw, unable to take it past the hand that denied her the air she couldn't fully process regardless. One hand drifted up, grasping Natania's wrist- she realized then that her left arm was indeed broken.

"Handbag..? Now, who was it that folded and rolled so nicely for storage just now, hm?" Kira couldn't get the air she needed to snap back at the woman, the thought rolling through her head carrying a swear that would have made her late mother blush. It seemed however, that Natania heard it anyway. "Careful, I might just have to remove your ability to think such words- I'd quite like to keep you around however. Bodies like this are much easier to control with the consent of the one it belonged to."

Following the idea that Natania _could_ hear her thoughts, she ran with it. " _You'll have my consent when I'm dead. This body is **mine**_ **.** "

The chuckle that fell from the woman in front of her as she leaned down made Kira shudder. The fact she hadn't passed out at that point assured her this couldn't be completely real... After all, how else was she conscious? "This body will belong to me soon enough- give it time, child. You are only still conscious however-" Natania quite suddenly let go of her, the hand sliding to her chest to press her to the stone before she even began to fall. "-because you are already accustomed to it. Such is the blessing of your bloodline, Kira." Kira gasped for air she thought she needed, only to cough on the taste of the acrid air that rose from the lake.

The smile that rose to Natania's lips was both beautiful and wicked, and for the smallest moment- Kira was transfixed. How something could be so much of both at once was truly fascinating... All at once however, the beauty was gone and Kira could only see the vile desire behind it- the one that wanted to see her _burn_. She missed the motion, the sight of the flick that sent her flying out over the lake...

" _Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me..._ " Those words echoed over the lake, and the moment before she touched the surface of the lake she seen a smile on Natania's face. Natania moved, and Kira felt the touch of the pitch on her flesh- boiling away the surface of her skin and shocking her into stillness- the woman was suddenly above her.

Time slowed then, to her alone it would seem. As Natania drew her hand back a shadow gathered there- in gleaming silvers and grays, in sparkling blacks and ebony- and they converged into a form that twisted and lengthened into a lance of the same shades. The solid form looked like a sparkling stone, highly polished and sharpened to a lethal edge, and she could see the curve of the head as the edge bent back toward the shaft.

" _Then let her go beneath the waters and be baptized..._ " The song like chime of Natania's voice broke that lapse of time, and she seen the woman rush for her. The logical part of her mind said it should have been a second- less perhaps- yet she seen every pull of muscle the woman made as she moved.

The spear in her hand pierced Kira through, forcing her under the surface of the lake and the scream that loosed from her filled her lungs with the burning liquid. When the spear pulled back, Kira felt it catch- pulling her back toward the surface...

" _And let her be_ _ **reborn**_."

* * *

… _And Kira followed it._ She flew upright with a dizzying speed- the 'surface' giving a sickening crack as she broke it...

" **Son of a** _ **bitch**_ **!** " Then the pain registered, as her head snapped back and she landed on the pillows behind her. Her hand- her left hand she realized- flew to her forehead to palm the fresh ache that brought her very thoroughly back to reality.

Oh god, _the headache that hit her_... For a moment, she honestly wished she was back in _the lake_ , it hurt so much. The world around her spun until she closed her eyes- blissfully aware of the black behind them, instead of some other image- and then she heard the second voice: "Kira..?" All at once the events prior to her 'vision'- she'd toss up on what to call it later- hit her and her eyes opened. There had never been so much white in her eyes as Lash reached for the hand on her forehead. "Are you-" That hand swatted him away, as Kira regained her ability to move and think in sync. She shuddered, taking a breath as she reached for her head with the right arm... only to find she couldn't move it. The world around her slowed back to a normal pace then, when her eyes shifted to the limb that she found taped to a board. That board had been lashed to the bed below her, and she realized so had her legs and hips... On the second pass, she noticed the broken rope below her torso- snapped and frayed as if something had hit it and gone well past the breaking strength the material was rated for. Lash noticed where her eyes were, then moved his hand slowly to her bound arm. "Are you lucid, Kira?"

She had to debate that answer for a moment, before responding. "Y-yeah... I think so..."

"Damn well better be; that hit hurt. The hell do you have up there, kid- bricks?" Kira went very still at the sound of that voice, before she turned her head slowly to look at the man who'd spoken. Sitting beside her bed, in her purple arm chair from across the room she noticed, was none other than Dante... Who was nursing a rather vividly colored bruise on his forehead. The chuckle from Lash made her smile softly, and she too laughed after a moment.

"Well, if you're laughing I assume you do _not_ have a concussion from 'the crack heard round the world'." Lash smiled at her, then motioned for her to look the other way. "I need to remove this, given I'm rather certain you just ripped the I.V." That caught her attention and she let her eyes wander to the arm that was roped down- and to the cloth that was taped to her arm. It covered her elbow, and much of her forearm... yet she could see where there was fresh blood on the board under it.

Her brow rose as she looked up at him, and the man actually scooted back and rose both of his hands above his head. "I swear, it was for your own good. When you..." She watched him bite at his lip, then lower his hands to the back of his head. That's when she actually seen the bandages on his forearms- and the cuts across his cheek. He gave her a sheepish smile, then sighed and dropped his hands to his lap. It wasn't Lash who explained however- despite the dirty look that he received- it was Dante.

"You flipped your shit, nearly disemboweled him, and when he called me, you hit the floor. I arrived just in time to see you reanimate- and get the lovely task of holding you down when you started to spazz out again."

"Seize. I'm rather certain that was some form of seizure, but spitting blood was certainly not in any human text book." Kira blinked at Lash, who she'd never looked away from, then reached up and rubbed her temple with the hand she had use of. The man continued, though he also returned to her arm. "When you stopped convulsing, I began checking your vitals- and to be frank, you should be dead with blood pressure that low. I always knew you were pale of skin tone- but I can't say for certain where you lost so much of the blood... There was the blood on your floor, and the blood I assumed was in your veins, and the blood you were missing. Those numbers do not add up." The man rattled on, seemingly rather concerned by the expression on his face. She realized rather quickly he was thinking out loud as much as he was explaining- his focus on her arm, where she could actually see the aforementioned vein.

She had indeed unsettled it when she woke up- the IV pulled from the vein and leaking. When she realized the line was crimson however, she looked again at Lash's arms. The man noticed quite quickly, before motioning toward Dante. "That's his blood, not mine. My blood type doesn't register on the human tests, it reads as some odd mix of B+ and O negative. We don't exactly have to worry about blood transfusions in Hell." Lash continued about his task of untapping her arm and removing the IV as Kira turned her head to look at Dante. The male actually grinned, untucking his arm from across his chest and rolling it so she could see the IV that had been left in his arm.

"We're a match, apparently. Something about a 'mixed' blood, but he figured you'd be fine with it as long as the human part matched up. AB positive, or something?"

A scoff that turned into a smile slipped from her. "Yeah, AB pos'..." The sigh that left her made Lash stop and watch as she flopped back onto the pillows. "I... How badly did I hurt you, Lash?" Red flickered over to the blonde where he sat, a sharpness to the shade that betrayed just how close she had come to complete possession. For a moment, he didn't answer- brow pinched as he watched that light dance behind the eye he could see.

"Nothing that won't heal, if that's your worry. How's your hands feel? Visuals look like the right plane of existence?" There was a strange pull to those words, and Kira heard it immediately- even if he told the truth, there was a lie in them as well. She didn't dwell to long on the thought that she picked up on that, instead flexing her hands slowly to check for whatever he may have been mentioning.

She found nothing, aside from blood under her nails. "All's good... Nothing weird in the sight department, thankfully. Seems she's content with her damage for the night, for the moment at least..." Kira closed her eyes, slowly breathing in as deep as she could- something she was rather infinitely grateful for now that she'd experienced a shattered rib cage. "What did I miss, specifically?" Her words were slow, spoken on a single slow release of breath.

Lash didn't answer, taking that moment to look away slowly. It was a scoff from Dante that opened her eyes, pulling them to the male who carried a pair of ice shaded ones with a similar light to her own. "Claws. I don't know where you got a set of talons like that from, but I'm glad they vanished after you started thrashing. Don't need a new piercing, thanks. Who the hell is Natania, by the way?"

"She slipped into your skin, Kira. Claws and all, she made very clear exactly how she would punish me for leaving _Dis_. I was wondering if it left any residual pain- the human body is far more in tune with such sensations than the demon one." Lash had busied himself cleaning up the trashcan- and the pieces that had been thrown from it during the event she could remember, and the one she couldn't. "May also want to check your temperature again, now that you're sentient. You spiked at something ridiculous, I'd put it at 110 or better but without equipment I can only guess by hand." She noticed then that her curtains were gone- and the warped bar half atop one of her other chairs was pretty indicative of what had happened. As was the falling plaster above the window.

"So... She possessed me? And threw you into the wall?" Echoes of the aches she would have felt if her injuries during her 'dream' sounded off as she pushed herself up off the bed, moving to sit against her headboard. The feeling of the moulding on the wood hurt as it touched her back, causing her to hiss and leaning forward on her knees instead. That sound drew an arched brow from Dante, and a confused look in return from Kira.

"That was your imprint, actually. Forgive me- you went for my throat with those claws, and I could have done worse." She blinked, looking back up at the space on the wall. The quirk in her lips was enough of an answer for Lash- she didn't hold it against him, and it answered a number of other questions. Like why her back hurt so badly compared to the rest of the phantom aches.

"And... neither of you answered my question. Who's Natania?" Dante sat there, casually sulking in her favorite arm chair, and watched the two of them with some form of bored disinterest. He seemed almost preoccupied, likely with his own analysis of the situation.

"She's a demon bound to the tower your dearest elder brother is trying to resurrect. His efforts are working- or the bitch wouldn't be haunting Kira. Which is why we are leaving today-"

"I have work tonight!" The indignant cry that rose from Kira was ignored.

"-for Fortuna, and the church. Theoretically, the energy there should be enough to help suppress any long distance attempts, and give me time to further plan and try to come up with a method of thwarting Kira's fate." Lash dropped the trashcan onto her desk, turning to pin the woman on her bed with a look- one that came across looking far more like a father than perhaps he realized. Hands crossed over his chest, even Dante's brows rose at the male before Kira spoke up.

"I already told you- I'm not running from this. Period. And I have work. If the prodigal son is raising the gate to Hell, then at least let me get Lianna and Giovanni out of town before hand." She straightened, wincing at the pain across her back before she glared at the angel across the room. "End of discussion, 'k? We can leave tomorrow- I need to pack anyway." Kira scooted to the side of the bed, throwing her legs over it.

Dante had other plans, raising a palm to her stomach as she stood- and forcing her to drop back to the side of the bed. "You might want to listen to him, Ki'... Every minute close to that tower is another minute closer to round two of what I walked in on. I don't think you want to add to his scars, do you?" The growl that his words pulled from Kira actually stopped all three of them, two with looks of shock and Kira with a glare of rage.

"You think I _don't know this_? I'm perfectly fucking aware of what I'm doing- what I'm risking. _I know_. I just stared it straight in the face and called her a bitch- you want to know what she did after you chased her off? _She came after me._ She showed me what boiling pitch feels like, and I promise you it tastes fucking _terrible_. So do broken ribs, and she's apparently learned a thing or two from my years of playing soccer- that kick would have thrown the goalie to the grass with the ball." Kira jumped to her feet again, this time pushing Dante's hand down with ease and moving past it. The motion actually tipped her chair, but the man was fast enough to counter balance it to prevent ending up on the floor behind her. "So yes. I know what I'm doing. I'm getting another shower, getting dressed, and going to work. When I come home, I'll pack, and we can leave. End of discussion." Kira turned to glare at Dante, a light in her eyes making him still as she looked down at him. "And don't you have a shop to run, lover boy?"

* * *

The buzzer from the door pulled the brunette out of her book- she was three quarters of the way through "Inferno", a tale of a mad man who decided to end the human race with a biologically engineered virus, and it was just getting good. A soft sigh left her as she stood from the couch, closing the book over it's ribbon. The buzzer sounded again before she could get to the door- "Just a minute!"

"I don't have a minute, Li'! Open up." Muffled, but undeniable, was Kira's voice on the other side of the door. It was rare that the young woman showed up at her apartment, but not unheard of...

What was unheard of was the sight that greeted her when she opened the door. Kira stood, seething, with a duffel bag over her shoulder in the entryway to the apartment, and covered up to her eyes in fabric. "Hell's bells, woman- what got a hold of you?" Lianna stepped to the side to allow the smaller woman through, closing the door behind her as she passed the threshold. Kira moved immediately to the dining table set by the kitchen, dropping her bag there before she began the process of unwinding the scarf from her head. Had Lianna been holding anything, she'd have dropped it. Her jaw joined the proverbial items on the floor.

Kira uncovered a myriad of bruises, many of which in shades dark enough to be days old. As she pulled the gloves of her hands, Lianna was treated to the sight of very dark bruising around the girl's fingers, and blackened nail beds. Strangely enough, there was no swelling- and no apparent loss of motion as Kira proceeded to strip the coat off her arms and add it to the pile of stuff on the table. Her voice carried an abnormally high level of 'snark', and the venom on her words gave away just how angry the young woman was. "You want the long version of that story, or the micro while you paint me a new face so I can open the bar in... 3 hours? Is that enough time? Can you work your magic in that much time?" The young woman looked up from where she was pulling her clothing out of the duffel, vest folded on top of her shirt and pants. Lianna could see the cosmetics case in the bag. For a moment, the elder didn't know how to answer her. She merely took in the sight of the bruises that spoke of a beating the child shouldn't have survived- much less be moving after.

"I... I think I can do that, but I will need _actual_ paint... God's above, Kira, what happened to you..?" Her voice dropped as she spoke, trailing into an quivering tone as she watched the young woman take a slow breath. The motion seemed painless- until Lianna caught the wince as her shoulders rolled back.

Kira opened her eyes again, letting out the breath slowly before she placed the clothing on the table and pulled out her make up case. It was small, just enough to hold her matching colors of foundations and eyeliners. "I... may have had an encounter with a demon who wants to possess me?" The younger woman offered up a bright, seemingly carefree smile. She nearly beamed as she spoke those words. "Seems someone's in town that wants to raise a little bit of Hell in the most literal sense- and she wants a piece of it and needs me to get it. So I spent my night and morning fighting her off metaphorically and now my bruises are starting to show at..." The far too bright eyes that Kira had turned to her moved down as she checked her phone. "Nine hours post? These things started blooming at like, seven this morning. I thought I had gotten away without them when I woke up, figured it was all just a dream... Well, first good shower proved me wrong. In five hours I've progressed from clear, to days past a bloody beating, and I expect at this clip I'll be clear of them in at the most twenty four hours. If I stay out of trouble. So! For the night, I need your magic. Please?" Kira held up her make up case, both hands holding the edges of it as she looked over the item and batted her eyes at the taller woman. A winning puppy-dog pout if Lianna had ever seen one...

Shame, it did nothing to make the situation any more believable. Or logical. Lianna continued to stare at the girl, eyes working over her bruises and lingering on the far more severe ones across her left shoulder. The tank top she'd tossed on left most of them on complete display. It was a good minute- and some nervous fidgeting by Kira- before Lianna spoke:

"Okay. So you just brought the world down around my ears, and you need to me to do your make up for work because pretty boy can't. We can do that. Mind giving me a bit more detail? Or making this make any form of sense while we work? Can we do that?" Her voice was slow, measured as Kira relaxed and offered her a far more genuine smile.

"Yeah, we can do that."

* * *

 **Authoress' Notes** :

 _The verse quoted is Psalm, 16:3. One of the various bibles of the world, though the verse is much the same in all of them._

 _This chapter also offers you the first sight of what will be her primary weapon- a called weapon of design that varies by the person who calls it, and the reason they did so. This will have many forms, as you seen, and will be expanded upon as we go along._

 _The chapter also comes after an age and a half of chaos that is my life. I apologize for the super delay- and the length, as this one is a bit shorter than I normally make them. Next chapter, we pick up where this chapter was going to originally leave off- at work. :3_


End file.
